Alan Turing – A Musical Biography – Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Alan Turing – A Musical Biography continues at Paradise in The Vault, Edinburgh until 20 August 2022.

Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

Given the huge contribution Alan Turing made to computer science and artificial intelligence and in particular his role in breaking the wartime Enigma code, his name was largely unknown until recent years. In 1999 Time magazine named Turing as one of the 100 Most Important People of the 20th Century, there has been a major film, documentaries and in 2021, he was chosen to appear on the Bank of England £50 note.

Turing was homosexual and was convicted of gross indecency. Despite the subsequent pardon, government apologies and public acclaim, his appalling treatment by the authorities and establishment, remains a sad reminder of the cruelty so many gay men had to endure.

Joel Goodman and Jan Osborne’s affecting and moving musical piece tells Turing’s remarkable story, employing the device of a lecture by a fictional biographer (played by Zara Cooke), who gives the audience the detail of his story. She also references her own brother’s story as a way of reminding us that for many gay men, despite societal shifts, nothing has changed. Turing’s own words taken from a series of letters written to friends, colleagues and his mother forms much of the dialogue. The initial letters of title of the songs spell out his name.

Key moments in Turing’s life are illustrated by a series of skilful songs and the score is often beautiful though apart from a couple of standout numbers, could do with a little more variety in tone.

Joe Hill as Turing sings well (as does Cooke) and captures his intensity and sense of wonderment at his discoveries. He also portrays his melancholy and sadness. Goodman effectively directs his own show within the limitations of the small stage.

I know there are many reasons for using amplification (sound balance with the pre-recorded piano tape, saving the actors’ voices) but in such a tiny space it might have been even more moving to listen to their natural voices.

There is huge interest in Turing’s story (the show pretty much sold out its run) and this show does well in telling some interesting parts of the jigsaw.

Keith Paterson