After several versions of the show, Alan Turing : A Musical Biography is ready to be performed once again, this time at its most ambitious venue yet, London’s Riverside Studios. In this interview, the cast Joe Bishop (Alan Turing) and Zara Cooke (multi-rolling) and creatives tell us about the show and what audiences can expect.
Q) It’s not long until opening night at The Riverside Studio how are you feeling?
Zara : It’s a fantastic venue and I’m very excited to perform there! It will great to be in the buzz of London and showcase our new, ever developing show to audiences.
Joe: Both Apprehensive and excited! We’ve taken the show to venues across the UK and it’s great to be bringing it back to London.
Q) Who is your character and could you tell us a little bit about them?
Joe: I’m playing Alan Turing. Most famous for being a mathematician and a homosexual man during a social climate that deemed his sexual orientation to be unacceptable. He was ahead of his time. A visionary and undoubtedly a genius. He was also incredibly witty and playful. Full of optimism, passion and drive. He had a talent for drawing people in with the simplest explanations of seemingly impossible and complex theory’s and subjects.
Zara: I play multiple characters throughout the piece from Alan Turing’s mother to the police officer who arrested him. My favourite character to play is Joan Clarke, who Alan was engaged to, she is a very interesting individual and we see some of her emotional journey in the show too.
Q) Did you find any of the process challenging and how did you deal with this?
Joe: I’m primarily an actor and before that I was a ballet dancer. Until this project came along I had little to no experience singing on stage. It’s been a good learning curve. Also creating a historical figure like Alan with as much authenticity as possible. We take him from age 9-41. I don’t think the process ever ends really but I’ve done a lot of research and read letters that were sent to and from him. They’re brilliant to read and fascinating. Not only are they informative when it comes to details and events but they tell you so much about his nature and character, the way he processed and observed the world around him.
Zara: Having to embody so many different people is fun but it can be challenging to find ways to switch characters so quickly as it is important to me to deliver the roles with authenticity and naturalness.
Q) Please tell us why you think audiences should come and see this show?
Joe: Alan’s story is still as important and relevant today as it ever was. Perhaps even more so. But It’s just as important to remember the man and person, not just the tragic way in which he was treated by the government at the time. He contributed many things to the people he shared his live with. You really do find yourself wondering what else he might have achieved had he not passed away at such a young age.
Zara: The show has great music which is a beautiful accompaniment to Alans Journey. Audiences can join us through his highs and lows as we cover key moments as-well as lesser known facts about him. We have done a-lot of research and work in order to deliver a true portrayal of Alan Turing’s life. I feel like our show almost gives the audience an opportunity to meet Alan, to see his personality and get inside his mind, which was fascinating.
Co-composer Jan Osborne, director Jane Miles, script writer Joan Greening and composer and producer Joel Goodman divulge what the show is about and what audiences can expect. With new creatives on board, just how different is this incarnation of the acclaimed show?
Q) For anyone who has not yet experienced the show can you tell us a little about the show and how the creative process was?
Jan: The show explores the life of genius mathematician and WW2 codebreaker Alan Turing. Tragically, he faced persecution for his homosexuality, and in 1952, he was chemically castrated due to his sexual orientation. Originally written in early 2022, the show sold out its entire Edinburgh Fringe Festival run before the 1st performance. The creative team has since expanded to now also include a scriptwriter, director and lighting designer which has allowed us to develop the show into what we feel is a very strong and compelling musical theatre production. We are very excited to present this version to audiences across the country in 2024, starting at Riverside Studios on Jan 8th.
Q) What challenges did you face bringing this show to life?
Jane: I was delighted to be asked to direct Alan Turing a Musical Biography and immediately went on a research trip! It was predominantly from books and luckily, I like reading. I found out that Alan Turing was much more than a mathematical genius. The challenge was to bring integrity to the whole story of this extraordinary gay man, not as an academic study, but a joyful theatrical portrayal of his life and the poignancy of his early death. I have directed some musicals before, but not many, so an exciting challenge for me was to allow the storytelling to run seamlessly and fluently through scenes into song. I like to play in my rehearsal room to allow the actors to feel free with their ideas and I am delighted to be working with Joe and Zara both of whom are very creative and full of ideas. A fundamental challenge for all of us was that we have just two actors, who, between them, have to deliver a compelling and complex story with energy and truthfulness . I need to ensure my actors can endure a demanding show.
Q) How does it feel to be involved with this production?
Joan: I feel very privileged to be working with such a creative team. I have been concerned to make sure we did justice to the life of Alan Turing making it as historically accurate as possible. Having only two characters in the cast has been challenging to write but I am confident we have captured his brilliance and sense of humour which has added to the poignancy of the ending.
Q) After receiving previous success with the production runs what makes the this run unique?
Joel: The Riverside run of shows is so far out of my comfort zone. As a producer it is financially scary to take on something bigger than I have previously attempted. I am self-funded, which producers are always told no to do. Producers are supposed to raise money from investors but my approach is to save up and then mount the show. As a composer Riverside is exciting because it is on a bigger scale and my work can be shared with more people than ever. I hope to become a known and respected composer in the world of Musical Theatre in the coming years.
Q) How do you feel the music adds to the already fascinating story?
Joel: Music can be so atmospheric and moving. I feel that my style of musical theatre writing can heighten an emotion compared to using exclusively spoken word. I have given a great deal of thought to the musical vocabulary. For example the interval of a perfect fourth runs throughout the show. I felt that a perfect interval ties in well with mathematics. To me there is something perfect about numbers and I wanted to reflect this in the music.
Q) What message do you want audience goers to take away with them?
Jan: Turing was persecuted for his sexual orientation in the mid-20th century, leading to tragic consequences. Understanding this aspect of his life helps raise awareness about LGBTQ+ rights and the impact of discrimination on individuals, even those who make substantial contributions to society.
Alan Turing : A Musical Biography runs at Riverside Studios 8th – 27th Jan 2024.
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