Chiwetel Ejiofor is returning to a story that’s shaped a major chapter of his career. The actor and filmmaker has joined the creative team for the Royal Shakespeare Company’s upcoming musical The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, serving as a creative associate on the production.
The project is deeply connected to Ejiofor’s work: his directorial debut was the 2019 Netflix adaptation of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, based on William Kamkwamba’s bestselling memoir. Ejiofor wrote the screenplay, directed the film, and starred as William’s father, Trywell. Much of that film was shot in Kamkwamba’s hometown in Malawi, grounding the production in the real community behind the story.
The stage adaptation—directed by Lynette Linton with book and lyrics by Richy Hughes and music and lyrics by Tim Sutton—will debut at the RSC’s Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon from February 10 to March 28, 2026. It will then transfer to London’s @sohoplace from April 25 to July 18 in a production staged with Kenny Wax and Chuchu Nwagu Productions.
Newcomer Alistair Nwachukwu will lead the show as William, the Malawian teenager whose self-built windmill helped save his village from famine. Joining him are Madeline Appiah, Tsemaye Bob-Egbe, and Sifiso Mazibuko, portraying members of the Kamkwamba family and community.
This marks the first musical under RSC co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey.
Ejiofor’s involvement on the creative team serves as a continuation of work he first began more than a decade ago, when he discovered Kamkwamba’s memoir and developed the film version from scratch. His connection to the story, the Kamkwamba family, and the community in Malawi has remained strong since the film’s release.
Now, as The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind enters a new chapter as a stage musical, Ejiofor steps in as a support and resource for the creative team while the production moves toward its 2026 debut.