Hoa Lo Prison is considered a hell on earth in the heart of Hanoi, where thousands of revolutionary soldiers were imprisoned and exiled during the war. Overcoming many difficulties, they turned the prison into a revolutionary school - a place to train and educate generations of excellent leaders for the Vietnamese revolution.

Among the communist soldiers who were imprisoned in Hoa Lo Prison was Nguyen Ngoc Vu (1908-1932), the first official Secretary of the City Party Committee of Hanoi.

Revolutionary struggle in prison

In 1930, despite being severely terrorized by the enemy, under the direction of the City Party Committee and the active activities of party members, the Party organization in Hanoi continued to expand, with the important role of Secretary of the City Party Committee Nguyen Ngoc Vu.

Knowing that Vu was the Secretary of the City Party Committee, the enemy tortured him brutally, but Vu still maintained his integrity as a communist.

The musical reflects the history of Hanoi in 1930s. Photo courtesy of Youth Theater

On September 28, 1931, in Hanoi, the French colonial criminal court opened a trial of 17 communist soldiers. Nguyen Ngoc Vu was sentenced to 20 years in prison. With harsh prison conditions and extremely brutal torture, in early 1932, Nguyen Ngoc Vu died at Hoa Lo Prison at the age of 24.

Although he only lived for 24 years, revolutionary Nguyen Ngoc Vu left behind a proud career. From transforming his family, neighbors, fellow prisoners to Hanoi intellectuals, Nguyen Ngoc Vu spread the revolutionary flame to all classes of people.

Inspired by his life, recently, Youth Theater staged the musical Fire from the Earth recreating the historical context of 1930, when the Communist Party of Vietnam was newly established, with the central character being Secretary Nguyen Ngoc Vu.

The musical is directed by Meritorious Artist Cao Ngoc Anh. This is a passionate project of the female artist, not only because she has been pursuing the musical genre for a long time but also because of a promise to herself: She needs to do something to show gratitude to Hanoi.

Then, by chance. In the process of learning about her family's history, Meritorious Artist Cao Ngoc Anh came across the story of Nguyen Ngoc Vu - her grandfather's eldest brother.

From historical documents and family records, the image of a revolutionary soldier emerged clearly. She met and discussed with screenwriter Le Quy Hien to build a script that not only focused on showing historical events, the character's achievements, or promoting the image of a heroic individual... but wanted to use a simple story from a family and social picture to show the nurturing of ideals and love to fan the flames of revolution.

Moving story

The cast of artists participating in the play are all well-trained and are currently bright faces in the Vietnamese musical industry, with comprehensive abilities: acting, singing and dancing.

Moved and proud to play the role of Nguyen Ngoc Vu's mother, artist Thanh Tam said she truly transformed into the character.

"I am also a Hanoian, my mother also took me to the bomb shelter, witnessed the difficult times and the daily development of this land. Therefore, I love this land so much. I want to do something for Hanoi. When I play this role, a mother who has the role of giving birth to and educating, nurturing Nguyen Ngoc Vu's love for the country, and at the same time participating in revolutionary activities with her son, contributing to enlightening the people to follow the path of fighting for the right to live for her people, I feel very happy and proud," she said.

Singer Le Viet Anh plays the role of Nguyen Ngoc Vu. Photo courtesy of Youth Theater

Young singer Le Viet Anh, who plays Nguyen Ngoc Vu, said he felt very honored and this was an experience and an unforgettable mark in his performing career. He’s also proud to perform the main role of the musical, a hero of Hanoi in the past.

“To fulfill my mission well, I spent time learning about history. Everyone set strict artistic standards, hoping to bring the most success to this musical. Therefore, we all performed with all our heart and love for Hanoi,” Viet Anh said, adding that the musical will educate young people the history of the capital and patriotic tradition.

The musical Fire from the Earth will officially open on March 15 and 16, 2025 at the Vietnam-Soviet Friendship Cultural Palace. After that, the play is expected to continue to be performed in districts and towns of Hanoi.