When his name was called as one of the artists to receive a gold medal for his role in the traditional Vietnamese opera "Those Who Light the Fire" (scriptwriter: Trinh Bich Ngan; opera adaptation: Nguyen Duc Minh; director: Meritorious Artist Bui Nhu Lai), Hoang Trong The was overwhelmed with emotion amidst the applause and cheers from fellow artists and colleagues in the auditorium of the Bac Ninh Provincial Cultural and Exhibition Center on the evening of November 2nd. For Trong The, embodying the character of Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet was a great pressure. He recounted: “Initially, I was very worried because embodying the role of Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet meant I would be acting throughout his early revolutionary activities under the pseudonym Sau Dan; the period when he held the important position of Secretary of the Special Party Committee in the Military Governing Committee of Saigon, playing a crucial role in taking over and stabilizing the city after liberation (April 30, 1975); the milestones of his career in healing the wounds of war, the period of renovation and national reconstruction... Then, the period when he served as Prime Minister, making bold and important decisions, especially directing the construction of the 500kV North-South power transmission line and major irrigation projects in the Mekong Delta (such as the T5 canal, later named after him), contributing to creating a new face for the country... All scenes had to highlight his greatest legacy: the spirit of being a “fire-starter” for the cause of renovation, always acting for the benefit of the country and the people.”

Captain Hoang Trong The, a non-commissioned officer, performs in the traditional Vietnamese opera "Those Who Light the Fire".

Embodying the role of Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, Trong The faced the pressure of accurately portraying the leader's demeanor and ideology, avoiding mere illustration and instead achieving a profound immersion in the character. The artist spent countless hours researching and studying numerous documents about the character to find a spiritual connection. To prepare the performance for this festival, Trong The and the entire Team 2 of the Army Cheo Theatre underwent over a month of intense rehearsals, three sessions a day, without rest on Saturdays or Sundays, immediately after completing activities commemorating the 80th anniversary of the successful August Revolution and National Day on September 2nd.

Recalling the days when he was guided by experienced artists and actors, Trong The expressed his gratitude for their passion and enthusiasm in "passing on" the craft to the young actors of the theater. "While still in school, we were trained and learned from exemplary roles in traditional Cheo opera, characterized by their conventional and lyrical nature. However, upon joining the Army Cheo Theater (since 2018), I received dedicated guidance from the senior actors and actresses to play roles of modern revolutionaries and leaders. Having played many roles before, embodying Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet in 'Those Who Light the Fire' helped me find the solution to this challenge. I wanted the role to simultaneously convey the lyrical, gentle, and conventional qualities of traditional Cheo opera, while also exuding the steely spirit and revolutionary character of a soldier – a dual requirement of our army Cheo opera," Trong The shared.

Captain Hoang Trong The's success at the 2025 National Cheo Festival is not only a milestone in his career but also a motivation for the artist to continue challenging himself, gaining experience on the big stage, and affirming the position of the young generation of military artists in bringing revolutionary history themes to the Cheo stage.

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/van-hoc-nghe-thuat/vinh-quang-khi-duoc-hoa-than-nguoi-thap-lua-1019555