* Playing at UK’s Royal Shakespeare Company’s Swan Theatre until March 28, 2026 before transferring to London’s Soho Place from April25-July 18
* Malawian boy’s amazing famine-beating creation inspires a rousing musical—The Guardian in its review of the play yesterday
* After a book, a film and a Ted Talk, William Kamkwamba’s heroically inventive response to floods, drought and starvation is now delivered with energetic songs and dancing
By Duncan Mlanjira
The story of William Kamkwamba’s childhood in which as a 13-year-old he built a wind turbine out of metal scraps to life-saving effect for his community, that inspired the autobiography; ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’, has been turned into a musical play being performed in the United Kingdom.
The autobiography, co-written with Bryan Mealer, won international attention and inspired American film actor and producer Chiwetel Ejiofor to create a movie also entitled ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ premiered in 2019, whose production set was in Malawi.
Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor with Malawi High Commissioner to the UK, Dr. Thomas Bisika, at The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwick at the premiere of the musical
Along with Kamkwamba’s much viewed and celebrated Ted Talk, “this musical version of the story is its own distinct thing,” writes UK The Guardian journalist, Arifa Akbar. “William Kamkwamba’s heroically inventive response to floods, drought and starvation is now delivered with energetic songs and dancing.”
“William Kamkwamba’s extraordinary story has been told many times. It deserves to be heard again, for its remarkable feat of resourcefulness, prodigious child’s intelligence and great, against-the-odds narrative arc.
“A Malawian boy living through a climate of floods and drought that left his village facing famine, he built a wind turbine out of scraps, as a 13-year-old, to life-saving effect for his community.”
Advertisement
The musical is directed by Lynette Linton, and Arifa Akbar acknowledges that “it is an exuberant creation, filled with warm light, humour, a gorgeous grass-roofed set design by Frankie Bradshaw as well as vivid costumes (patterned fabric, bright colours, great headdresses) and vibrant African sounds and movement”.
Performers excel in energetic choreography by Shelley Maxwell and it contains a big, loud West End energy that seems to expand beyond the edges of this stage and spill over.
“There is a nice rapport between the always good-natured William (Alistair Nwachukwu) and his friend, Gilbert (Idriss Kargbo), the cheeky son of the village chief who aids William’s learning after he has been dismissed from school for not being able to pay the fees.
Alistair Nwachukwu as William in the musical
“There is romance too, not only the warm, comfy chemistry between William’s parents but also between his older sister Annie (Tsemaye Bob-Egbe) and schoolteacher Mike (Owen Chaponda).”
Arifa Akbar continues to marvel the artistic display of the musical, saying the romance in the plot “leavens the harder edges of the story but things stay too insistently feelgood, even in the face of hunger and famine when drought arrives, and the lack of nuance in tone becomes limiting.
“We do see William’s mother (Madeline Appiah) struggling with malaria, as well as his clashes with his father (Sifiso Mazibuko) and death all around the family. But the production glances at this darkness and withdraws from it too quickly, as if scared to diverge from the musical’s high mood.
“A re-emerging hyena (Shaka Kalokoh) symbolises the sense of danger in the village but simply stalks on and off, looking like an extra from The Lion King and carrying little threat.
“There is some superb percussion and drums, with songs variously filled with lamentation or celebration, along with spirited ululations. But while Tim Sutton’s music is always big on sound, with a few strong songs including Mphala Boys Power and ‘This I Know’, there are too many unmemorable numbers and some ropey singing voices too, along with an often bland book by Richy Hughes that renders characters rather too simplistic.”
“William remains strangely unknown, as if eclipsed by the song and dance. His friendship with an adopted neighbourhood dog, exquisitely played by Yana Penrose, is another sweet feature, but you do not feel the emotional tragedy when it comes.
“At well over two hours long, this drama of immense suffering – alongside a boy’s incredible determination to find a solution for it – is certainly life-affirming.
“But it does not get you in the gut, or squeeze the heart, as it surely should,” concludes The Guardian’s Arifa Akbar, who rated the musical with four out of five stars.
Bisika in solidarity with William Kamkwamba at The Swan Theatre
West End’s Sophie Eaton observed that the musical opens “to the birdsong and chatter of a Malawian village, the stage alive with colour and movement as a community gathers beneath a blazing sun”.
“The Royal Shakespeare Company’s ‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ transforms the theatre into a living, breathing village where storytelling is shared and survival is collective”.
Sophie Eaton observes that while the film, directed by and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, “offered sweeping plains and intimate close ups, the stage production leans into theatricality, an ensemble driven retelling that feels immediate and urgent”.
“The year is 2001. Malawi is gripped by famine, the rains have failed and the crops wither in the dust. William, a bright and inquisitive teenager, is forced to leave school when his family can no longer afford the fees.
“Where the memoir gives us his inner thoughts, this production externalises that struggle. We see the politics, the community tensions, the market traders and the schoolroom, all unfolding fluidly before us.
“The windmill itself becomes less a solitary invention and more a symbol of communal hope,” writes Sophie Eaton, adding that the musical’s cast “is vibrant, captivating and authentic”.
“The clear favourite of the evening, however, is Khamba, William’s loyal street dog, beautifully puppeteered by Yana Penrose. Khamba’s wagging tail and soft whimpers follow William through his journey from boy to man, providing moments of lightness amongst the hardship.
“The set is simple yet effective, with sections of the floor lifting to reveal soil and graves, stark reminders of what is at stake. At the end of the production, the cast assemble the windmill piece by piece, and we feel the weight of that achievement, a community quite literally building hope from scrap.
“Projections are cleverly used to enhance the storytelling, trees are felled before our eyes and rain finally pours across the stage. At one point, we are shown footage of the real William Kamkwamba during his first Ted Talk at just 19, a powerful reminder that this is not fiction but lived experience.
“The cast carry this production with love and sincerity, though the pace does soften in the second half. This is easily forgiven, as the final moments deliver an emotional and uplifting payoff.
“‘The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind’ is a heartfelt and vital story of determination, one that deserves to be told again and again,” concludes Sophie Eaton, who also generously gave a rating of four stars.
* Weather update
