The BBC will broadcast a world exclusive recording of A Man from the Future by Pet Shop Boys on 4 October. This 2026 edition is a revision of the original work first performed at the Royal Albert Hall during the 2014 BBC Proms. The piece focuses on the life and work of mathematician Alan Turing and was developed in collaboration with biographer Andrew Hodges.
The broadcast schedule begins on BBC Radio 6 Music during Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone from 20:00 to 22:00. Later that evening, the work will air on BBC Radio 3 within the program Unclassified from 23:30 to 00:30, featuring a studio interview with Neil Tennant, Chris Lowe, and Andrew Hodges hosted by Elizabeth Alker. Both transmissions will be available on BBC Sounds for 30 days.
Co-produced by Pet Shop Boys and composer Sven Helbig, the new recording features revised text and music. The arrangement emphasizes electronic elements and includes a string section by Sven Helbig. Narrator Juliet Stevenson returns for the recording, using updated text from Andrew Hodges' biography, Alan Turing: The Enigma. Additional performances are provided by the Manchester Camerata Octet and the Manchester Grammar School choir.
The composition is structured in eight chronological parts covering Turing's education, his time at Cambridge University, and his government work during World War Two. Lorna Clarke, BBC Director of Music, confirmed the premiere across the two radio stations. The original 2014 performance featured the BBC Concert Orchestra and the BBC Singers.