Breaking the Code

Breaking the Code is a 1986 play by Hugh Whitemore about the British mathematician Alan Turing whose 100th birthday is being celebrated all over the world during the year 2012 as the Alan Turing Year. Turing, one of the foundational thinkers behind the modern theory of computation, was also a key player in breaking of the German Enigma code at Bletchley Park during World War II. The play thematically links Turing's cryptographic activities with his attempts to grapple with his homosexuality.

The University Players at the Universität Hamburg take their motto of "teaching theatre" very seriously. Under the guidance of experienced actors and directors, new members of the University Players gather practical experience in all areas of the theatre (production, publicity, programs, directing, acting, lighting, sound, costuming, stage design, make-up, etc.). The workshop atmosphere of the University Players has won the group national recognition as a remarkable and unique enterprise. (More about the University Players.)

The University Players will perform Breaking the Code as part of the Alan Turing Year celebrations in Paderborn, Braunschweig, Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Almere.

We acknowledge the kind financial support of our sponsors that made this production possible: the Heinz Nixdorf Stiftung, the Deutsche Vereinigung für Mathematische Logik und für Grundlagenforschung der exakten Wissenschaften, and the Universität Hamburg.