By Florence Mwale:
A book titled The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by the country’s inventor William Kamkwamba has been adapted into a stage musical.
According to information on the Royal Shakespeare Company website, the musical will premiere on February 10, 2026, and run until March 28, 2026, at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom.
It will later transfer to Soho Place in London, where it will be staged from April 25 to July 18, 2026.
Actor Alistair Nwachuku will take on the lead role of Kamkwamba.
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And reacting to his casting in a social media post, Nwachuku expressed excitement and gratitude.
“Humbled and grateful to be playing William Kamkwamba. It is an honour to help tell his inspiring story,” Nwachuku wrote on Instagram.
Nwachuku’s credits include the hit Netflix series Shadow and Bone and the short film A Friend of Dorothy which has been nominated for an Oscar award.
Written by Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer, the memoir recounts how as a teenager, Kamkwamba built a windmill from bicycle parts and scrap materials to generate electricity for his family’s home in Kasungu District during a severe famine.
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The stage adaptation comes seven years after Netflix released a feature film based on the book, which starred British- Nigerian actor Chiwetel Ejiofor.
In his directorial debut, Ejiofor received critical acclaim, including an award from the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People for his work on the film.
The actor is known for roles in blockbusters such as 12 Years A Slave and Doctor Strange.
