This year we filmed The Soul in the Machine - George Williams YMCA Founder, live at the MAC Birmingham with one of the top film production companies for live theatre. Mike Marriage from Lunar Film, who has experience of filming the National Theatre Live, partnered with us to create a global resource for the YMCA. This was a new and incredible full cast opportunity; only two takes, one with a live audience.

For me, it has been an absolute privilege to play George Williams. I didn’t want to at first, it had already been played by brilliant actors within Saltmine and so these were big boots to fill! Driving home from work one day, I can honestly say God gave me his heart for the YMCA; that He is so passionate about that fantastic organisation and how he wants to work through it today.

George Williams famously sat on Blackfriars bridge in London on 6th June 1844 and saw that the value of life was cheap; people were being worked to death. He decided to do something to change it and founded what has now become the largest youth charity in the world. What an inspirational man and what a complete honour it was to step into his shoes.

This film not only becoming part of YMCA's staff induction, but has also premiered live at YMCA's global conference in Chang Mai Thailand and been subtitled into 6 different languages.

Ben Kessell, Lead Actor