ALAN TURING
SACKVILLE GARDENS
written by: MARK RAVENHILL
animated by: RUSSELL TOVEY
with support from: MANCHESTER CITY COUNCIL
'I was drawn to the idea of a statue whispering in the ear of a passerby, an intimate yet public relationship between listener and speaker. I only knew the bare bones of Turing's story - an important story - and it was fascinating to condense it into a few words whispered to a stranger.'
Mark Ravenhill
Alan Turing is widely considered to be the father of theoretical computer science and of artificial intelligence.
During World War II, he worked at Bletchley Park, Britain's code-breaking centre where his contribution was enormously important. Yet, in 1952, he was prosecuted for homosexuality. After appalling treatment and stigmatisation, Turing took his own life.