The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind review
Musical adaptation of a remarkable true story is uneven, but made up of powerful components
A cruel drought has sabotaged the harvest throughout Malawi, and in the rural home of William Kamkwamba, there is no let-up. With the community facing imminent famine, incredibly tough decisions must be made: can they afford to let teenage William study, or is he needed on the farm? Should they make their one meal of the day breakfast or dinner? And can they risk deconstructing their only mode of transport – a bike – for an experiment that, if successful, would get water pumping again?
As the title suggests, bravery and astonishing nous win out in this miraculous true story about a boy who teaches himself the mechanics of wind energy and uses scrap items to make a life-saving windmill. Having already been turned into a film by Chiwetel Ejiofor, it now becomes a musical in the hands of Richy Hughes (book and lyrics) and Tim Sutton (music and lyrics).
Like William’s windmill, this stage adaptation has the components to wow – not least a remarkable story and direction from leading light Lynette Linton. But at present, it doesn’t always spin smoothly, and the first half washes over you without leaving much impression. A should-be spirited opening number feels under-rehearsed; Hughes and Sutton’s lyrics are often mawkishly generic; and although performances from a cast led by Alistair Nwachukwu’s quietly determined William are committed all round, singing is often off-key. The ending of the first act is so sudden it seems tumbled into accidentally.
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But it does improve. A more taut and weighty second half also contains better musical numbers. Madeline Appiah’s Agnes singing to Sifiso Mazibuko’s Trywell about their duty as parents to lift William up so that he can lead moves us as it should, as does Trywell’s own number about not breaking in the face of extreme hardship. There’s a lovely chemistry between William and sister Annie (Tsemaye Bob-Egbe), whose secret correspondence with school teacher Mike (Owen Chaponda) adds a welcome dose of humour.
Frankie Bradshaw’s terracotta-coloured set conjures the Malawian landscape through parched earth and scorched trees set against a fiery sky. Shelley Maxwell’s choreography speaks of the timeless celebrations and rituals carried out by a people we’re told put their faith in magic over science until relatively recently. Nick Barnes’ puppet dog, operated by Yana Penrose, pulls on our heartstrings as its bounding energy fades through hunger. And Shaka Kalokoh’s hyena, drooling at the doors of these weakening villagers, is impressively lithe.
Through a rousing moment at the end, when the windmill kicks into gear and lights start flickering, we glimpse the powerful potential of seeing this story on stage. With a few small fixes, it could carry that essence the whole way through.
For full touring dates, visit boyharnessedwindmusical.com
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