Breaking the Code, Royal & Derngate Northampton Review
Written by Adam Ryan for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Age Guidance: 12+. This production contains adult themes and discussion of suicide.
What does the £50 note, World War II and the future of technology have in common? The only genius and mastermind of his time, Alan Turing. In recent years, the famous film ‘The Imitation Game’ starring Benedict Cumberbatch, has brought Turing’s name to the forefront of our minds, but for many years, Alan Turing was hidden away and forgotten about due to prejudice and the law at the time.
His incredible tale of bravery, intellect and knowledge has been reimagined for the modern stage by Hugh Whitemore. It is based on the book ‘Alan Turing, The Enigma’ by Andrew Hodges.
From Royal and Derngate Northampton, Landmark Theatres and Oxford Playhouse and in association with Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse and HOME, this imaginatively clever and thought-provoking production tells the life of Alan Turing from different perspectives and during a range of eras.
As a famed Mathematician and Scientist I wondered prior to seeing the production, which aspect of Alan’s life would be focused on. Would it be about his incredible intellect and schooling at Sherborne and Cambridge? Would it be about the part he played in designing his machine called the Bombe, which was used to decipher German coded messages during World War II and essentially won the war? Or would it be about Alan’s struggles with his identity, his stammer and his relationships with others?
Mark Edel-Hunt who plays Alan has been impeccably cast for the role. His monologue on Mathematical assertions was absolutely brilliant! His body language and portrayal of Alan’s stammer and his tics, as well as his relationships with the other actors on the stage were mesmerising and completely authentic and believable.
Mark’s double act with Peter Hamilton Dyer, who plays Dillwhyn Knox, the intelligence officer who essentially headhunts Alan for his role at Bletchley Park, was one of the most hilarious moments of the evening. With themes such as prejudice, death and humiliation, these moments brought laughter to the audience throughout the evening.
One sub-plot of the play explores Alan’s sexuality and how this develops over time as his relationships grow through his teens and into adulthood. Alan lived in a time where gay men were seen as wrong, and this production explores Alan’s understanding of his sexuality as well as that of others, such as his beloved mother and the policeman who arrested him for gross indecency.
The main plot of the production is about Turing’s intellectual armoury and its evolution across his life. He found the war a bit of a dilemma as it proved to be a most unfortunate interruption to his work! Alan’s imagination and invaluable nature is explored through his relationship with Pat, played by Carla Harrison-Hodge, a welcome addition to the cast and to Alan’s life. Their relationship is explored on stage as they work together to break the code in Hut 8 at Bletchley Park. Alan not only has to hide his job from his brother but also his mother, who cannot seem to understand Alan’s traits and talents.
The passing of time as well as the movement between the different eras is signalled through the use of clever lighting and the use of props that the actors use or dispose of on the stage. Credit where it is due to Lighting Designer Johanna Town as well as Set Designer Jonathan Fensom for their clever collaboration of these aspects of theatre.
Joseph Edwards who plays both Christopher Morcom and a Sixth-Former at the end of the production was both captivating and versatile. His round-up of Alan’s life at the end of the show spoke about everything that the audience were thinking. I couldn’t help but wonder what Alan would have thought of technology in 2025 and what his thoughts would be on the introduction of Artificial Intelligence across our lives and across the World.
All the cast members provide the audience with relentless energy and humour as well as lots of dialogue and monologues, particularly Mark in his role as Alan as he is pretty much on stage for the whole evening. The fear and pain are explored through the deep and meaningful conversations that Alan has with the other characters on stage in the second act. They were both profound and long-lasting conversations that will stay with the audience long after the curtains came down.
With the bookshelves, binders and beers adorning the stage when I entered, I wasn’t sure what to expect of this production, but I am delighted to state that ‘Breaking the Code’ is one of my top shows of the year. I highly recommend a visit to anyone willing to learn about an extraordinary man and his mind. It isn’t breaking the code that makes it, it's where you go from there.
Breaking the Code continues its run at Northampton’s Royal and Derngate until Saturday 21st September 2025 before touring across the UK at theatres including Oxford Playhouse from Tuesday 7th October to Saturday 11th October and Peterborough’s New Theatre from Tuesday 14th October to Thursday 16th October before concluding its tour in November at HOME in Manchester.
If you are looking for further productions and musicals at Northampton’s Royal and Derngate, then why not book tickets for Murder at Midnight in February 2026, Top Gs like me in February and March 2026 or Operation Mincemeat in July 2026.
★★★★★
