The play 'Debt to the country' - touching images of the first 20 years of President Ho Chi Minh's life

Storyabout peoplereenacted on the stage of reformed opera

The play is a combination of Cai Luong stage art (the main genre in the play) and some other traditional art forms such as Vi folk songs, Nghe Tinh Giam, Hue songs, Bai Choi songs of Zone 5 and Southern folk songs, depicting the image of President Ho Chi Minh from his childhood to the time he boarded the ship to France. "Debt to the Country" left a strong impression on the audience when telling the story of Uncle Ho's youth.

Image of Nguyen Tat Thanh in the cai luong stage play Debt to the country. Photo courtesy of TH

The play clearly depicts the image of the boy Nguyen Sinh Cung, the young man Nguyen Tat Thanh, the image of his mother Hoang Thi Loan and Uncle Ho's father - Nguyen Sinh Sac... in the cultural space of regions from North to South.

The play opens with the image of young Nguyen Tat Thanh entering Saigon, preparing to leave to find a way to save the country. From Nguyen Tat Thanh's flashback, the events from his birth to his adulthood are recreated in a touching and impressive way, accompanied by folk music.

Starting from the love story that led to the relationship between Mrs. Hoang Thi Loan and Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac, until the baby Nguyen Sinh Cung cried out at birth, blending in with the space of lotus blooming season in his mother's hometown Hoang Tru. The scene of the baby Nguyen Sinh Cung's family living in Hue, in a simple house, the hardships and worries of the mother. Then the image of Mrs. Hoang Thi Loan falling ill and passing away in the capital while her husband and eldest son were on a business trip in Thanh Hoa, brought many tears to the audience.

The scene where Mrs. Hoang Thi Loan was sick and asked Nguyen Sinh Cung to sing a lullaby to her crying youngest child, the song "Ho ru con""inserted: "Lullaby, lull my baby to sleep. Let mom go to the market to buy lime to chew betel"... When Mrs. Loan passed away, it was raining and windy, on one side Nguyen Sinh Cung called for his mother, on the other side baby Nguyen Sinh Nhuan cried loudly, Hue folk melodies resounded, considered one of the best performances in terms of acting skills, visual skills and sound.

According to Nguyen Tat Thanh's reminiscences, the turning point that had a strong impact on Nguyen Tat Thanh's thinking was when his father - Mr. Nguyen Sinh Sac, district chief of Binh Khe, Binh Dinh - was recalled to Hue to face punishment for defending the poor and encouraging patriotism... When his father and brother returned to Hue, Nguyen Tat Thanh was introduced by his father's old friend to teach at Duc Thanh School.

Scene from the play "Debt to the Country". Photo: Document

After that, Nguyen Tat Thanh went to Saigon, to the headquarters of Lien Thanh Thuong Quan. This was a business organization founded by patriotic scholars in Binh Thuan in 1906 to respond to the Duy Tan movement initiated by Phan Chau Trinh, Tran Quy Cap and Huynh Thuc Khang. Here, Nguyen Tat Thanh looked for an opportunity to board a ship to France, to find a way to save the country.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen The Ky answers the press at the press conference before the play's premiere. Photo: Archive

During its premiere, "Debt to the Country" brought many viewers to tears, not only in typical highlights such as the scene where Nguyen Tat Thanh bid farewell to Le Thi Hue to find a way to save the country, but also intrigues viewers because this is a work that not only has the Cai Luong genre but also incorporates Nghe Tinh folk songs with very unique performances.

It can be seen that, in the 120 minutes of the play “Debt to the Country”, through historical slices, the production team deeply portrayed the childhood as well as the process of developing the ideology and aspirations of the young man Nguyen Tat Thanh, from birth to growing up when the country was immersed in the dark night of slavery. He was deeply influenced by the land rich in traditions of Nghe An, educated and nurtured with love for his homeland and country, the will to learn and understand from his parents... which nurtured and instilled in Nguyen Tat Thanh a love for the country and people with a special tendency.

The play is exciting because of its novelty.

The script for “Debt to the Country” was developed by Associate Professor, Doctor Nguyen The Ky based on the work “Debt to the Country” - part 1 of his novel “Nuoc non van dam”. The play was staged by People’s Artist Trieu Trung Kien - Director of the Vietnam Opera House and a team of famous artists.

The play tells the story of President Ho Chi Minh's life during his lifetime, but has created its own unique features, not boring because of the excellent scenes that other plays and films have had. "Debt to the Country" also conveys typical slices, not a work about the journey. The author and screenwriter Nguyen The Ky said: He did not do the work of writing history, but only showed slices and milestones from the childhood of the boy Nguyen Sinh Cung until the time the young man Nguyen Tat Thanh left to find a way to save the country.

Many critics have commented: "The director has carefully selected songs that can combine two genres and blend them together. When the artist is singing Vi Giam, he switches to Vong Co, still very smoothly. A play about President Ho Chi Minh is full of poetry, solemnity, and respect."

People's Artist Trieu Trung Kien said in an interview with the press: To stage this play, the production team spent a lot of time participating in scientific seminars and researching President Ho Chi Minh, from which they integrated the materials into the play.

In addition to the combination of theatrical techniques, the production crew also used LED screens to support the stage, creating a realistic space, making a strong impression on the audience when recalling the context of the late 19th century, the extreme life of the people under the oppression and exploitation of colonialism and feudalism...

President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and his wife came to watch and take souvenir photos with the artists. Photo courtesy of TH

The play did not choose to use regional dialects, but the artists successfully portrayed the characters with their realistic and emotional performances. Artist Minh Hai - playing the role of Nguyen Tat Thanh - Uncle Ho in his youth - portrayed the simple, rustic but determined demeanor of Uncle Ho with his character, intelligence and knowledge.

Besides artist Minh Hai, the performances of other actors such as Anh Duc (as Nguyen Sinh Cung), artist Nhu Quynh (as Hoang Thi Loan), Meritorious Artist Manh Hung (as Nguyen Sinh Sac)… also left a strong impression on the audience. The smooth performances of the artists along with the creative improvisation and flexibility of the creative team in handling the stage setting brought new feelings to the audience.

"Debt to the country"is the first part of the stage project ""Thousands of miles of mountains and rivers"about President Ho Chi Minh, produced by the Vietnam Opera House. The next two parts are scheduled to be released in 2023 and 2024, focusing on Nguyen Tat Thanh's journey abroad and then returning home to make a revolution.

After premiering in Hanoi, the Cai Luong Theater is performing the work "Debt to the Country" in the Central and Southern provinces, especially the places where Uncle Ho's footsteps were imprinted on his journey to find the shape of the country.