The Vault: S.O.S.

S.O.S. is a devised performance responding to The Lady of Soul and Her Ultimate ‘S’ Machine.

First staged thirty years ago in 1993, Tan Tarn How’s The Lady of Soul and Her Ultimate ‘S’ Machine is a political satire where Derek, the Chairman of ‘various committees and subcommittees’, is tasked with finding the soul of a nation. He finds himself debating if he should submit a recommendation that he feels is morally right and risk the consequences of going against the wishes of the government.

After its staging in 1993, The Lady of Soul and Her Ultimate ‘S’ Machine went on to receive a number of staging, most recently in 2015 as part of Esplanade’s The Studios: fifty Season.

In 2023, five students from the National University of Singapore’s Theatre & Performance Studies TS3103 Theatre Lab will present a response to the original text using their research and insights into its themes, issues and dramaturgy. Accompanying this performance-response is a reading of excerpts from the original text by alumni of the Theatre & Performance Studies programme.

Join us to experience this performance-response and rediscover the soul of the nation.

In the inexplicable future, a series of man-made disasters have made Singapore dangerously radioactive. An unlikely crew of volunteers gather in a vault to document and archive the Soul of Singapore using artificial intelligence, so that Singapore can be restored when she is habitable again. They only have 10 days to complete this ambitious project before their supplies run out.

But their progress is hindered by conflict and chaos.

Can they capture the Soul of Singapore?

Artists

Lee Chi Hang Noah
Ariel Lim
Dylia Ang
Voon Yueqi
Michael Neo

Written by Tan Tarn How, The Lady of Soul And Her Ultimate 'S' Machine was first produced in 1993 by T:>Works at the Drama Centre. The play would go on to be restaged in 2oo1, 2009, and most recently in 2015 as part of Esplanade’s The Studios: fifty Season.

Click on the links below for more information about The Lady of Soul And Her Ultimate 'S' Machine: