A play based on the book Alan Turing, the Enigma by Andrew Hodges.

A compassionate and often amusing play concerning the remarkable mind and tragic fate of Alan Turing, mathematician and computer pioneer who broke the code in two ways. One was by cracking the German Enigma code at Bletchley Park during World War II for which he was decorated by Churchill and lauded by the State. The second was by shattering the gentlemanly English code of sexual discretion and making little attempt to disguise his homosexuality. For this he was arrested on a charge of gross indecency. Whitemore's play, shifting back and forth in time, constantly seeks to find a connection between the two events and tackles major questions such as the relationship between mathematics and personal morals whilst telling a very good story.

"It is the work of a superb theatrical craftsman who knows how to keep an audience hooked while planting ideas like seeds" - The Guardian

The successful London and Broadway runs in 1986 and 1987 respectively, starred Derek Jacobi.

We will perform this play at the Barn in the round. Each of the two acts is made up of 8 or 9 short scenes, so staging will be very simple – and each scene goes back and forth in time between 1927 and 1954 – so just a few tables and chairs will signpost where and when we are.

The play is made up of occasional monologues, but mainly duologues; there are never more than three people on stage and Alan hardly leaves it – he has virtually every other line in the play! There is little in the way of ‘action’, but the theatrical craftsmanship is so powerful this play will NEVER be dull – I expect it to be completely riveting.

And there will be plenty to explore in rehearsal as we try to see inside the brilliant but troubled and enigmatic mind of Alan Turing