Review: EDINBURGH 2023: REVIEW: ALAN TURING - A MUSICAL BIOGRAPHY, Paradise In Augustines (The Sanctuary)

Early Morning Productions bring Alan Turing’s story to life in this piece written by Joan Greening with music by Joel Goodman and Jan Osborne. From his visionary work in computing to his appalling treatment by the authorities for being gay, it explores Turing’s experiences and legacy. 

The piece is narrated by Andrea (Zara Cooke), a biography writer who writes about Turing (Joe Bishop). This lens frames the story as looking back on Turing’s life from a modern-day perspective. Zara Cooke also plays an array of characters that Turing interacts with, denoted with simple costume elements. Both performers give convincing turns as their characters, and are in fine vocal form. 

Directed by Jane Bowen, the set comprises two desks, one which is always Turing’s. The set-up feels like being invited into Turing’s workspace, a place that was important to him. Complex mathematical ideas are conveyed to the audience through devices such as letters to Turing’s mother and writing out mathematical concepts on the stage floor. 

A highlight was the song about the imitation game, known as the Turing test, to differentiate between person and machine. It feels very relevant to today. It would’ve been good to go deeper into how the Turing test works and is applied today. There is an understandable need to balance explaining complex concepts to a lay audience, but more details would emphasise the point the show wishes to make about the importance of Turing’s legacy. 

The songs could have benefited from more variety in pace and style, and at times felt like missed opportunities to explore Turing’s emotional state and his feelings about his experiences, for example how he felt about achieving his goal of cracking the Enigma code yet having the wider public unaware, and similarly how he might have felt about being forced to keep his personal life secret. 

The very establishment that Turing gave so much of his work to during the war treated him horrendously for being gay, contributing to his death. The horror of this is not shied away from. 

Alan Turing - A Musical Biography sheds light on Turing’s legacy, and will undoubtedly be provoking further curiosity in his life and work. 

Alan Turing - A Musical Biography, runs August 12 and 14-19 at 10.50 (1 hour 5 minutes) in Venue 152 Paradise in Augustines - The Sanctuary 

Warnings and additional info: Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes 

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