Aug 28: A Man from the Future

In 2014, Pet Shop Boys performed at the BBC Proms. It was a piece about Alan Turing.

The work is in eight sections which were narrated by actress Juliet Stevenson: 

1. Natural wonders every child should know 

2. He dreamed of machines 

3. The Enigma 

4. Other ranks 

5. The memory and the control 

6. The trial 

7. Only in his death 

8. A man from the future 

The voice of former British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, was heard in the last section, recorded especially for this performance. 

Juliet Stevenson narrated from within a specially constructed booth to ensure vocal clarity over the music. The BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC Singers were conducted by Dominic Wheeler. 

Neil Tennant sang alongside the BBC Singers while Chris Lowe played keyboards and electronics behind him and next to PSB programmer Pete Gleadall.

The band has now revised the piece.

BBC Radio 6 Music will broadcast the 2026 edition of “A man from the future” on Sunday 4th October within Stuart Maconie’s Freak Zone (8-10pm), and Stuart will also hear from Neil and Chris and Andrew Hodges about the creative process behind the reworking, and their interest in blending electronic and orchestral music.

 
The piece will then be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 later that evening within Unclassified (11.30pm-12.30am) as the Pet Shop Boys and Andrew Hodges join presenter Elizabeth Alker in the studio to reflect on the original performance and its 2026 evolution.

 
Both programmes will be available on BBC Sounds for 30 days after transmission.