The soul in the Machinesir George Williams YMCA founder. We are more than bodies to be fed to a machine. We are made for more than work. We have souls, we have spirits and somewhere in this dead city there must be a place for those things. London, 1844 Her gutters run with effluent and blood and her skies are choked with the smoke of a hundred factories and foundries, but above the smoke, the stars still shine. George Williams is a country boy who comes to the city to find his place in the world and to make his mark. Appalled by the spirit-crushing rhythms of the Workers life he fights to spread the light of God, and create a place where the soul can be nurtured. This is the story of how YMCA began this is our story. Commissioned by YMCA, Created by Saltmine Trust, The Soul in the Machine is a play for anyone who works for a living.