The King Who Named Singapore is a production conceived specially for the Singapore Festival of Arts 1988. The King Who Named Singapore, an epic of Singapore folklore, is a dramatisation of materials found in the Sejarah Malayu (Malay Annals), a collection of old stories of Singapore and Malaya as told by storytellers to the Sultan of Malacca.
The story traces the life of Sang Nila Utama, a king in Palembang, who sets out in search of a land worthy enough for him to rule. His journey is marked with disappointments and danger until he lands on the island of Temasek. There, he stumbles upon a Singa, a magnificent creature in terms of stature and strength. Captured by the beauty of the island, Sang Nila Utama decides to set up his kingdom there, and names it Singa-pura, which means Lion City.