Nearly 80 years ago, Alan Turing's work accelerated the Allied victory by ending World War II. But the British mathematician ended his days in secret because he was excluded from society because of his homosexuality. Today, Benoît McGinnis contributes to a necessary “duty of remembrance” by bringing it to life on stage The Turing machine.
Alan Turing has what it takes to be a national hero: During the Second World War, the mathematician cracked the German code and deciphered the messages to the Nazi troops. However, he never received public recognition. Of course it was kept secret by the British secret services. Most importantly, he was tried and convicted of “insulting public morals” because of his homosexuality, which was a criminal offense in Britain at the time.
His memory has since been restored: Queen Elizabeth II posthumously recognized his status as a hero and granted him a royal pardon in 2013 for every crime he was accused of.
“He received a public apology and that is a nice gesture. But this recognition came late. It is important that people know this part of history,” says Benoît McGinnis.
More than a “lab rat”
The actor himself was “not at all” familiar with the work and life of Alan Turing, having only seen the film “The Imitation Game,” which won an Oscar in 2015. But “The Turing Machine” offers a very different take on this true story: shedding more light on the man than on his science. And it was precisely this aspect of the proposal that attracted Benoît McGinnis.
- Listen to the interview with actor Benoit McGinnis QUB :
“Playing a man locked in a room doing math all day wasn't something that interested me. But Alan Turing wasn't a lab rat: he was smart, he had friends, he loved, he made people laugh… Not only was he dark, he also had a lot of luminosity within him. And that’s interesting to play,” says the actor.
Étienne Pilon and Benoît McGinnis in “The Turing Machine”. © François Laplante Delagrave
Father of artificial intelligence
Although the mathematician committed suicide in 1953, Alan Turing's legacy is still alive today, as he is widely considered one of the fathers of artificial intelligence. There has also been a lot of discussion about this technology for some time, although its use in the cultural sector is seen by some as worrying.
“It's scary to think about what can be done with our image and our voice. It is certain that there will be laboratory experiments, shows created by artificial intelligence. It can do incredible things – and that's exciting! – but it’s still scary to think that we can remove all the humanity behind the art,” he says.
- The play The Turing Machine will be performed at the Théâtre du Rideau vert in Montreal until February 24th. A tour of the province follows.
Our review: Brilliant Benoît McGinnis
Benoît McGinnis found the right partner in Alan Turing, a rich and complex character who allowed him to show the full extent of his talent. Well surrounded by three other actors on stage – the masterful Étienne Pilon deserves particular mention – he manages to give the figure of the mathematician an enormous degree of humanity and thus creates the essential cohesion for the success of this story, which runs carelessly between the two Turing's life travels back and forth between different years.