Breaking the Code
A play by Hugh Whitemore
7th September – 27th October 2012
The English Theatre celebrates 100 Anniversary of Alan Turing
Directed by Michael Howcroft
Designed by Bob Bailey
Father of computer science, mathematician, logician, wartime codebreaker, victim of prejudice.
An exceptional biographical drama about eccentric genius Alan Turing (1912 – 1954), a man who broke too many codes. He not only masterminded the cracking of the German Enigma code, one of the greatest achievements of the Second World War, he also formulated the concept of and made initial designs for a computer. His far-sighted plans for the digital era also presaged Artificial Intelligence. Yet he also “broke the code” when his personal life transgressed the rigid moral demands of polite society and British law, leading to his crucifixion by a hypocritical establishment.
Das English Theatre feiert mit diesem außergewöhnlichen biographischen Drama den 100. Geburtstag von Alan Turing*, dem Mann, „der den Krieg für Großbritannien gewann“ (Winston Churchill). Ein Stück über einen genialen Exzentriker, der sein Heimatland rettet, der Entwicklung des modernen Computers entscheidende Impulse gibt, in Sex-Skandale und geheimdienstliche Tätigkeit verwickelt wird, um schließlich unter mysteriösen Umständen an einer Cyanid-Vergiftung zu sterben.
*Royal Mail ehrte A. Turing im Februar 2012 mit einer Briefmarke der Serie „Britons of Distinction“.
