Alistair Nwachukwu is harnessing his power in 'The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind'

This young actor is making his West End debut in the musical adaptation of William Kamkwamba’s heartfelt memoir The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

Summary

• Alistair Nwachukwu stars as the lead in the The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
• The musical tells the story of 13-year-old inventor William Kamkwamba who built a windmill to save his village
• The production transfers from the RSC's Swan Theatre to the West End

Alistair Nwachukwu’s career in theatre came about somewhat unexpectedly. He had been training as a footballer with the Millwall under-18s team when he broke his leg, bringing an end to that dream.

A period working in retail followed before a friend encouraged him to try an Identity School of Acting class. He caught the bug, and two years later joined the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Since then, Nwachukwu has landed the part of Leo in Michael Grandage’s production of The Line of Beauty at the Almeida Theatre, as well as a lead role in the tear-jerker, Oscar-nominated short film A Friend of Dorothy with Miriam Margolyes. “All of a sudden these roles are coming in,” he says, “I’m still shocked that this is happening.”

Now he is gearing up for the West End transfer of new musical The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, which premiered in Stratford-upon-Avon in February. Lynette Linton’s production is an adaptation of William Kamkwamba’s memoir (itself made into a 2019 film starring and directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor) about a young boy who saves his village in Malawi from famine.

Nwachukwu talks to London Theatre Magazine about why he is drawn to sensitive male roles and what it was like to meet the man who inspired this musical.

Can you tell me about The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind?
It’s a true story about William Kamkwamba, a 13-year-old boy, and it’s set in Malawi in 2001. There was a famine and William decided to create a windmill out of scrap materials; this wind turbine generated electricity, which generated water, saving his whole village.

The producers decided to make the story into a musical, and I think it will help young people to dream big. It makes me think about my younger self when I wanted to be a footballer. I didn’t have many people around to support me, which was similar to William. Everyone thought he was stupid, but he persevered.

What was it like to meet William in real life?
We’ve been in this process since 2023, so there were four or five workshops before we started rehearsals. William has come back and forth a few times to check in on us. This story is a huge responsibility and I think all of us feel that — the entire cast and creative team. We want to tell his story with justice, and we want to tell it right. William is such a humble, gentle man — there’s no ego at all with him. It was really nerve-racking and scary to meet him. As an actor, you have the words on the page, but you never have the human in front of you. [To have him there made it] real.

Why do you think this story works well as a musical?
The two writers, Tim [Sutton, music and lyrics] and Richy [Hughes, book and lyrics], are incredible. And what they’ve done with the music — I think, sometimes, words aren’t enough. Malawi is called the warm heart of Africa, and the music gives you an essence of what it feels like to be in Malawi. The music is an extension of this story, and it brings us closer to Africa, closer to William’s story, and closer to the drought.

What does the music sound like?
It’s got an African feel. There are a lot of drums and chanting. It’s very primal, but there are some songs that are quite light, which have a pop feel. We have two dramaturgs [George Harrison and Owen Chaponda] who are both from Malawi, so we have hints of Chichewa [the national language] bled into the script and songs.

How has the process touched you emotionally?
There’s an element of love threaded through all of Lynette’s shows. In this musical, it’s connected to home, to fathers and sons. I never knew my dad, he left when I was really young, so to have Sifiso [Mazibuko, who stars as Trywell Kamkwamba] playing my dad makes me think, “Maybe it would have been like this if I had a father when I was young.” It’s close to home in so many ways.

You seem to be drawn to these more sensitive male roles, considering your recent turn as JJ in the short film A Friend of Dorothy. Why do you think that is?
I think a lot of men find it hard to feel, and I’ve been like that, coming from a football background. I didn’t want to feel, didn’t want to be vulnerable — I wanted to be strong and masculine. Drama school and therapy have really helped me to not be scared to show my emotions. So now I look for that in the characters I play. I hope that inspires other young men to not be afraid to show that part of themselves.

What do you hope people take away from The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind?
A sense of hope. It’s such a heartfelt play, and I think a lot of young people will come away thinking, “I can dream big.”

Book The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk. Performances run from 29 April through 18 July.

This article first appeared in the April 2026 issue of London Theatre Magazine.

Photo credit: The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind at the Swan Theatre, RSC. (Courtesy of production)