Alan Turing story at the Royal Exchange

MAJOR REVIVAL OF HUGH WHITEMORE’S CELEBRATED STORY OF ALAN TURING

 

The Royal Exchange Theatre presents

BREAKING THE CODE

By Hugh Whitemore

Directed by Robert Hastie

 

Friday 28 October - Saturday 19 November – The Theatre

Press Night: Wednesday 2 November, 7.30pm

 

IN a major revival of Hugh Whitemore’s Tony-nominated play BREAKING THE CODE BAFTA award-winning actor Daniel Rigby takes on the role of the mathematical genius Alan Turing. Manchester born Rigby leads a cast of eight in the Royal Exchange’s new production of this compelling play which brings Turing’s story back to Manchester, the city in which he lived, worked and died. Robert Hastie’s new production celebrates the mind of this incredible man revealing the infinite wonder of Turing’s mathematical world and the brutal constraints set against sexual freedom in post-war Britain. The production runs from 28 October – 19 November.

 

In the leafy surroundings of Bletchley Park at the height of the Second World War, a brilliant young mathematician called Alan Turing was working away at a problem. The creation of a machine. A machine that would crack the German Enigma code and win Britain the war. In the aftermath of victory, Turing arrived in Manchester with an even bigger task in mind – the development of the modern computer. It would be a task he left unfinished, publicly humiliated and destroyed by the revelation of his sexuality and prosecution for indecency.

 

Daniel Rigby, who makes his Royal Exchange debut, is a BAFTA Award-winning actor, comedian and writer who works across theatre, television and film. Daniel’s theatre credits include Alan Dangle in the original cast of ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS (National Theatre/West End/Broadway), THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO (West Yorkshire Playhouse) HAMLET (Barbican and tour) and BURIAL AT THEBES (UK premiere Nottingham playhouse). Daniel’s television credits include FLOWERS and BLACK MIRROR: THE WALDO MOMENT (Channel 4), JERICHO (ITV), THAT DAY WE SANG (BBC) and UNDERCOVER (UKTV). In 2011, he won the Leading Actor BAFTA for his portrayal of Eric Morecambe in BBC2’s ERIC AND ERNIE.

 

This year Robert Hastie will take over as the new Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres. Recent work includes HENRY V (Regents Park Open Air Theatre), CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF (Theatr Clywd) for which he was nominated for Best Director at the UK Theatre Awards. As Associate Director of the Donmar Warehouse he directed SPLENDOUR by Abi Morgan, and MY NIGHT WITH REG by Kevin Elyot, which also ran at the Apollo Theatre, West End. Other productions include: A BREAKFAST OF EELS (Print Room), CARTHAGE and EVENTS WHILE GUARDING THE BOFORS GUN (Finborough Theatre) and SUNBURST by Tennessee Williams (UK Premiere, Holborn Grange Hotel).

 

The cast of BREAKING THE CODE is completed by Geraldine Alexander, Phil Cheadle, Natalie Dew, Harry Egan, Dimitri Gripari, Mark Oosterveen and Raad Rawi.

 

This Manchester story is supported by local business the King Street Townhouse