The honor and pride of Colonel - People's Artist Tu Long

On the evening of July 27, the Hanoi Television Stage program continued to air with the play General Vo Nguyen Giap. Previously, this play was staged by the Army Cheo Theater and first performed in August 2024 and won a Gold Medal at the 2024 Hanoi Open Theater Festival.

The play was broadcast on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day, so it was even more meaningful. People's Artist Tu Long, as Director of the Army Cheo Theater, attentively watched the play General Vo Nguyen Giap from beginning to end. He also took on the role of Artistic Director for the work.

"The play is one of the occasions that our theater is very honored and proud of. The play is broadcast on Hanoi Radio and Television and on many platforms as a gift from the artists and soldiers to the previous generation with a work. That is our honor."

Two artists play the roles of General Vo Nguyen Giap and President Ho Chi Minh .

The play General Vo Nguyen Giap is part of a series of specialized art programs produced by Hanoi Radio and Television in collaboration with prestigious art units, to honor traditional and modern stage works with profound artistic and ideological values.

The work recreates the image of General Vo Nguyen Giap, an excellent student of President Ho Chi Minh, the eldest brother of the Vietnam People's Army, in traditional theatrical language, rich in artistry and ideology.

In addition, the Cheo play also recreates the 56 days and nights of steadfast fighting of our army and people in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, focusing on the image of the Commander-in-Chief - General Vo Nguyen Giap - at the moment of making the decision that changed the situation on the battlefield.

General Vo Nguyen Giap recreated many special scenes, interwoven between the heroic battlefield atmosphere and lyrical and emotional moments. The highlight was the scene where the General made the historic decision to switch from “fight fast, win fast” to “fight steadily, advance steadily” according to President Ho Chi Minh’s instructions.

Besides, there are deep everyday scenes such as the confession with Mrs. Dang Bich Ha at night, the scene of visiting wounded soldiers, saying goodbye to fallen soldiers with a touching lullaby, or the love story between laborer Lieu and To Vinh Dien. The image of the General's family is also gently and warmly portrayed, especially the scene where the wife announces that she is pregnant with a son and wants to name him "Vo Dien Bien", as a symbol of faith and aspiration for victory.

People's Artist Trinh Minh Tien - who plays the General, was most impressed with the "witness battle" scene between the General and General Navarre, a dramatic scene set on two fronts. He emphasized that the sequence of changing orders from "fight fast, win fast" to "fight steadily, advance steadily" was the highlight, showing the bravery and concerns of the commander.

People's Artist Trinh Minh Tien plays the role of General Vo Nguyen Giap.

People's Artist Trinh Thuy Mui said the biggest challenge was to highlight the humane side of the General, especially in the way he treated wounded soldiers. She chose to limit stage techniques, focusing on lyrical passages to touch the audience's emotions. The scene where the General visits wounded soldiers, without dialogue, only performed with eyes and silence, was considered by her to be "valuable" and touched the audience's emotions the most. The vitality of the play was proven through the emotions of audiences of all ages, especially students and veterans who were moved to tears.

Writer and journalist Nguyen The Khoa believes that this is one of the most complete works on the subject of General Vo Nguyen Giap, balancing emotions, events and traditional materials. The work is considered "a good play about General Vo Nguyen Giap and the Dien Bien Phu victory", worthy of being a typical work of art to celebrate the country's major events.

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