Alistair Nwachukwu Talks … The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind

At a time when conversations around innovation, resilience and community feel more urgent than ever, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind arrives on the London stage with a story that continues to inspire audiences across generations.

Based on the memoir by Malawian inventor William Kamkwamba and following the acclaimed film directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, the new musical at @sohoplace reimagines the true story of a young man whose determination and ingenuity helped save his village from famine.

Leading the production as William is Alistair Nwachukwu, whose performance captures the determination, hope and heart at the centre of the story. Through his portrayal, William becomes more than an inventor and innovator; he is a son, a friend and a young man driven by a deep commitment to his family and community.

Here Nwachukwu reflects on stepping into the shoes of a real-life hero, the emotional power of musical storytelling, the complexities of Black fatherhood, and why stories of survival must always leave room for joy.

Please introduce yourself…
My name is Alistair Nwachukwu – I’m a GEMINI – Nigerian heritage, igbo tribe. 

Describe your life right now in one word or sentence…
My life feels like everything I worked for is finally meeting me at the same time.

Why are we here?
Love and connection may be the closest thing we have to a universal meaning. More than success, status and achievement. Those things can feel incredible but most people, at the end of their lives, talk about who they loved, who loved them, who stood beside them, who they became through other people.

William’s story has already been told in a memoir and a film. What did the musical version allow you to explore differently as an actor?
The musical version gave me the chance to explore the emotional and spiritual side of William’s journey in a much more immediate way. With a memoir or film, a lot of the story is told through dialogue and visuals, but music allows the audience to feel what’s happening internally – the hope, fear, frustration, ambition – in a way that’s almost impossible to explain with words alone.

What really stands out about William’s story is that he wasn’t driven by fame or recognition, but by a desire to help his family and village. How did you hold onto that sense of purpose in your performance?
What really helped me stay grounded in William’s purpose was constantly returning to why he’s doing everything. It’s never abstract for him, it’s his family, it’s survival, it’s dignity. That clarity makes it easier to avoid playing “achievement” and instead play intention. Every scene becomes about someone else, not himself.

⁠The relationship between William and his father becomes one of the emotional anchors of the show. Was there anything personal you connected to while building that dynamic with Sifiso, and what did those scenes teach you about vulnerability, pride and Black fatherhood?
The relationship with his father is where a lot of that tension lives. Building that dynamic with Sifiso was about understanding that love and pressure can exist in the same space. There’s pride, there’s misunderstanding, but underneath it there’s care. That felt very human to me, and it opened up conversations around vulnerability and Black fatherhood that aren’t always given enough space.

There’s a real innocence and determination to William. Did stepping into his mindset change how you thought about ambition or resilience in your own life?
Stepping into William’s mindset definitely recalibrated my sense of ambition. He’s not thinking in terms of “success” he’s thinking in terms of necessity and possibility. That shifts everything. It made me reflect on how often we overcomplicate our own goals when sometimes the core is very simple: solve the problem in front of you, care for the people around you, and keep going.

⁠One of the most striking things about the production at @sohoplace is how immersive it feels, from moments where the audience is invited to stand and move, to the close proximity between performers and audience. How does that audience energy shape the atmosphere of the show each night?

The immersive nature of the production at @sohoplace changes everything. You’re not performing at an audience, you’re performing with them in the space. You feel their breathing, their reactions, their stillness and that energy feeds back into the performance in real time. It means no two shows are exactly the same. Some nights the audience feels more playful, other nights more still and reflective, and you adjust instinctively. It creates a shared emotional rhythm, almost like everyone is
collectively building the story together.

Does performing such emotional material in such close proximity to the audience add an extra layer of intensity or vulnerability for you as an actor?
There’s an extra layer of vulnerability when the audience is that close. You can’t hide, everything has to be honest. That can feel exposing at times, especially in the more emotional scenes, but it also makes the work more alive. It pushes you to be present. If something is even slightly false, it reads immediately. But when it’s truthful, you can feel it land in a really direct way. That exchange of energy is one of the most exciting parts of doing theatre. 

⁠⁠What has been the most emotional moment for you performing this show so far?
The most emotional moments are usually the quiet ones, not necessarily the big musical climaxes, but the scenes where everything strips back and it’s just truth between characters. There’s a point in the show where William is faced with the reality of what his family is going through, and every night that lands differently depending on how the audience is receiving it. Sometimes you can feel the weight of silence in the room, and it becomes quite overwhelming in a very human way.

Chiwetel Ejiofor remains attached to this production as Executive Producer after directing the film. Did that connection to the film and William’s real-life story bring any sense of responsibility or pressure when stepping into the role?
Having that connection to the film and to William’s real-life story definitely brings a sense of responsibility. When a story is rooted in real people’s lives, you’re aware that it isn’t just fiction, it carries memory, history, and lived experience. With Chiwetel Ejiofor involved as Executive Producer, there’s also a sense of continuity and care from the original film, which is reassuring. It doesn’t feel like pressure in a negative way, but more like a reminder to stay honest and grounded in the truth of the story.

⁠I was really struck by how much hope and resilience sit alongside the pain in the story. In the middle of everything the characters endure, there’s still music, humour, tenderness and love. Why do you think stories about survival need to make space for joy and humanity?
I think if a story only shows pain, it can start to feel distant or one-dimensional. But when you include joy, humour, tenderness, and music, it reflects real life more accurately. People don’t stop being human in difficult circumstances. They still laugh, they still love each other, they still make jokes, they still dream. So for me, the joy in the story isn’t separate from the struggle, it’s part of the survival.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU …

If not this, then what? I’d go back to playing football professionally, I used to play for Millwall FC.

What’s made you sad, mad, glad this week? Sad: Feeling how fast everything is moving sometimes, and wanting to stay more present. Mad: When people dismiss creativity or stories too quickly without really engaging with them. Glad: The people around me right now, there’s a real sense of care, energy, and shared purpose.

What are you watching? Breaking Bad 

What are you reading? Open Water – Caleb Azumah Nelson

The last film you watched? The Drama

The last play you saw? One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest at The Old Vic.

What’s currently on your playlist? WizKid – Ojuelegba

What’s on your bucket list? I really want to see more of the world, travel around South America, Brazil is top of the list.

Where’s your happy place? ARC community. 

Celebrate someone else … Jyuddah James. We did Choir Boy together and now he’s doing Sherlock Holmes at Regent’s Park
Open Air Theatre. 

Where can we find you? Instagram – @Alistair.Nwachukwu

Where can we watch you at work? @sohoplace theatre until 18 July.

The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind – Book Your Tickets Here