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Regional Reviews: San Francisco A Thought-provoking Production of Hugh Whitemore's Breaking the Code Also see Jeanie's review of Show People and Richard's review of Home Street Home
Breaking the Code opens when Turing (John Fisher) is in the police station reporting a petty home burglary. There are quick scenes changes showing the mastermind as a teenager and scenes showing his sexual relationship with 19-year-old Ron, played beautifully by Justin Lucas. His report to the policeman will eventually lead to criminal prosecution and punishment for his sexuality which was a crime in England during the 1950s. John Fisher gives a marvelously genuine performance as Alan Turing. He morphs into the unpleasant attitudes of the character skillfully. He even transforms into a 16-year-old boy showing off his new friend from boarding school to his mother. The cast performs each scene with no embarrassment, no bravado, and no ambiguousness. Patrick Ross vividly plays Mick Ross who finally prosecutes Turing. From the outset his dark and suspicious mind is a tad obvious but not in a bad way. Celia Maurice has an idiosyncratic gentleness as Turing's mother and Kristen Peacock is excellent as the young woman who falls in love with Turing. Heren Patel brightly plays both of Turing's lovers, a schoolmate named Christopher Morcom and a young Greek named Nikos. Rounding out the cast are Michael DeMartini and Val Hendrixson who give excellent performances as Smith and Knox. John Fisher also sharply directs this production and he has taken these shadowy characters and made them come alive on stage. Costumes by Lara Rempel are authentic to the '50s. Wai-keung Lowe has devised a sparse set with only table and chairs, which are moved around to show a police interrogation scene or the living room of Turing's flat. Lighting by Lowe is also bright. Breaking the Code is a good old-fashioned, intelligent play and is multilayered in its examination of loyalty and national expediency. Breaking the Code runs through March 21st, 2015, at the Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson Street, San Francisco. For tickets or other information, call 800-838-3006 or visit www.therhino.org.
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