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Breaking
the Code
Royal
Theatre, Northampton
Friday
7th to Saturday 29th November, 2003
Tickets: £5.00 to £27.00
Box Office: 624811 |
| Reviewer's
rating: |
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Turn
off your telly; abandon that evening in the pub; don't bother with
a trip to the flicks: if you really want to spend your hard earned
cash on quality entertainment, go to see Breaking the Code at Northampton's
Royal Theatre.
You'll be hard pushed to see a better acted, better produced show.
Breaking
the Code tells the tragic and moving story of one of the world's
most brilliant mathematicians.
Genius
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| Gus
Gallagher as Ron Miller and Philip Franks as Alan Turing |
The
fact that you're reading this on a computer is partly down to the
genius of Alan Turing, yet his is not a household name.
Turing
was the father of modern computers and artificial intelligence.
And during the Second World War his work at Bletchley Park helped
save Britain from Nazi domination by breaking the German Enigma
Code.
Yet,
despite Turing's brilliance, his country turned its back on him.
Mesmerising
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| Zoë
Waites as Pat Green with Turing |
This
play by Hugh Whitemore tells the story of Turing's life from childhood
(his first day at school coincided with the general strike so he
cycled the 60 miles to school so as not to be late) and ends with
his tragic death.
Turing
is portrayed with great energy and intensity by Philip Franks. It's
a mesmerising performance - he even manages to make complex mathematics
understandable.
The
entire cast is near perfect. David Collings is excellent as Turing's
boss at Bletchley Park, the dotty professor Dillwyn Knox. Gus Gallagher
is suitably dangerous as Ron Miller, the 'bit of rough' Turing picks
up in a Manchester pub. Tilly Tremayne subtly ages with every scene
as Turing's mother, Sara. And Zoë Waites is Pat Green, the
woman who falls in love with Turing.
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| George
Couyas as Nikos and Philip Franks as Turing |
The
fine acting is supplemented by projected computer graphics and film
clips designed by Pippa Nissen.
Director
Philip Wilson has brought out plenty of humour in Turing's story.
He's put together a polished production that doesn't just entertain
but makes you think.
Photos by Robert Day
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below to send us your comments.
shannen
amazing preformace
Russell
Breaking the code is on at the crescent theatre birmingham this week !
Emma
Phillip Franks was marvellous in the role of Alan Turing, his jerky
mannerisms and awkward stance relayed perfectly the troubled intellect. He
played him with intense thought and had obviously done a lot of work on the
character, you could tell from his performance that Turing meant a lot to
him. I had every confidence in him and forgot I was watching a play - it was
like a real snapshot into his life.
The actress playing his mother was spot on - their relationship was very
touching in the scene where Alan tells her what has happened to him, she
swung from anger back to love and concern which was very moving. I also
enjoyed the relationship between him and Pat - that brought a tear to my eye
at the end as they sat drinking lemonade on the beach. A terrible sense of
missed opportunity and what could have been. There seemed real love there
between them.
The whole cast gave stellar performances and there was not one weak link. I
also liked the screens which were suspented above the action, which really
helped to locate each scene in the mind, ie. the garden, the Office, the
coast. An excellent production, highly recommended.
mark baldwin
excellent show - and much better than the 1997 TV version.
lo-z
a very gripping play, well directed and brilaintly acted. Phillip Franks performance was spot on. Reminded me of Anthony Hopkins, without the ham. Superb.
sam
absolutely loved it-go and see it
Steve Williams
We sat up in the Gods of the Royal, the view was amazing for cheap seats! The opening night was incredible, the acting brilliant, the story, tragic. At no time did I find my attention wandering. It is a masterpiece in its own right but also a telling portrayal of gay life of the time and how pathetic the laws were. So sad that we sometimes still get treated the same way.
Ben01604
Wow! Amazing acting and great to see a gay kiss on stage.
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