Presented by: St Jude’s Players
Reviewed: 6 August, 2026
Based on the book Alan Turing. The Enigma. By Andrew Hodges
Alan Turing has become something of a legend in the computer and AI industry. He was without a doubt a genius and a polymath who not only through his work at Bletchley during the Second World War breaking the enigma code, but also through his continued work in the computer industry building the first digital computer and breaking the ground for research into AI ensured he lives on through his prophetic proclamations that the computers he helped build would morph generationally into the juggernauts that drive our telephones, computers, laptops, iPads and all the other devices that have developed into the little helpers that not only rule but also guide our lives.
This masterfully written and constructed play by Hugh Whitmore gives us an insight into the often challenging and calamitous situations that changed the direction and outcomes of this brilliant man’s life and career.
Brant Eustice as Turing is in the driver seat for this production. His exquisitely complicated character drives, pleads, cajoles and defends his life and his choices from the minute he walks on stage. Every gesture has a purpose, and every word is driven by the conviction of this complex and dangerously honest man. Director Les Zetlein has surrounded Eustice with an array of characters that influenced or changed his life.
Jamie Black’s portrayal of Mick Ross the plodding country detective attempting at every turn to entrap Turing at the behest of his secret service boss played with just the right amount of deceit by Pete Davis.
Nicholas Koulioubus’ naive portrayal of Turing’s first sexual obsession Christopher Morcom played with a sense of childlike innocence which contrasted beautifully with his portrayal of Nikos the Greek boy who was without doubt an energetic presence for Turing to deal with and a great foil for some of the most incisive dialogue.
Rhonda Grill’s portrayal of Sara Turing allows us into the world of the English housewife/mother whose life as the wife of someone who worked for the British Government in India had deprived her of all the motherly instincts and left her a woman who lived life according to the rules never letting her feelings be part of her life. When the facade cracks it is moving and informative only to be firmly put back into place at the end of the play.
Sebastian Hollingworth’s portrayal of Ron Miller, the catalyst that brings Turing down is honest, challenging and at times dislikeable; all the things the character needs to make the piece sizzle.
David Lockwood’s Dillwyn Knox is a joy of a performance. Clear, connected to his talk and charismatic. Every word, every gesture, connected to the journey of this complex and effective influence on Turing’s career with a subtle and effective reveal near the end which is heart rending.
Finally, Tianna Cooper’s portrayal of Pat Green, Turing’s fellow code breaker at Bletchley who was in love with him and offered herself as his wife to see past his homosexuality was a lesson on good acting. Listening, responding clearly and in the moment to the dilemma of how she could allow herself to live with the man she loves no matter the cost.
It is a masterful attempt at bringing this beautifully written text to the stage. There is, as always with a St Jude’s production a vast array of technical help. Don Oakley is credited with so many tasks, does this man never sleep? His set design in a perfect representation of England during the thirties and forties. Stark, functional and angular. As prickly as the play. Rosemary Taylor and Anna Siebert have costumed it beautifully. The lighting design by Ian Thompson is sensitive to the needs of the play and the music is evocative of the times and places it served to enhance ( I almost stood up for Jerusalem, it was my British School assembly hymn, I sang it every school day morning for seven years)!
This is a beautifully written, cleverly crafted piece of 20th century writing that played in the West End and on Broadway, it received several Tony award nominations and was, and still is, a highly regarded piece of theatre. Congratulations to St Jude’s for giving us another engaging piece of theatre with a controversial theme or two.
Reviewed by Adrian Barnes
Photo credit: supplied
Venue: St Jude’s Hall, 444 Brighton Road, Brighton SA 5048
Season: 6th -8th then 13th – 15th August 2026 7.30pm
Matinee performances: Sat 8th and Sat 15th 2.00pm
Duration: 2 hours and 45 minutes (including a 20 minute intermission)
Tickets: $15 – $28 (plus booking fee)
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1586128
Warning: Contains themes of suicide
