Are You Watching?, Under the Shadow & The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

In this episode, we explore three powerful productions that tackle some of the biggest questions facing society today. From the dangers of deepfake technology and online voyeurism to supernatural terror during wartime Iran and an inspiring true story of ingenuity in Malawi, these are shows that challenge, move and ultimately stay with you long after the curtain falls.

Are You Watching?

What happens when technology blurs the line between reality and exploitation?

Georgie Dettmer makes an impressive professional playwriting debut with Are You Watching?, a bold new world premiere directed by Jess Edwards, whose acclaimed work includes Conversations After Sex. Exploring deepfakes, pornography, online voyeurism and the commodification of grief, the play asks difficult questions about consent, responsibility and our growing desensitisation to digital abuse.

As stories intertwine and perspectives shift, audiences are forced to confront their own relationship with the content they consume and the systems that profit from it. Timely, provocative and deeply unsettling, we discuss whether this powerful new work succeeds in holding a mirror up to our increasingly online world.

Under the Shadow

The horrors of war and the supernatural collide in this gripping stage adaptation of Babak Anvari’s BAFTA-winning film.

Adapted by Carmen Nasr, Under the Shadow transports audiences to Tehran during the final years of the Iran-Iraq War, where Shideh is left to care for her young daughter as bombs rain down on the city. Yet alongside the very real threat of conflict lurks something far older and more sinister: a djinn carried on the wind between the missile strikes.

Featuring a remarkable central performance from Leila Farzad as Shideh, supported by Nadia Albina, Bijan Daneshmand, Souad Faress, Mona Goodwin, Nicholas Karimi and Rachid Sabitri, this atmospheric production feels especially resonant given current events in Iran. We discuss how the play balances psychological horror with a deeply human story about motherhood, identity and the impossible choices faced during times of war.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind

Based on William Kamkwamba’s bestselling memoir and the acclaimed 2019 film directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind arrives in the West End as a moving and uplifting new musical full of heart, hope and extraordinary talent.

Directed by Lynette Linton, with book and lyrics by Richy Hughes and music and lyrics by Tim Sutton, the production tells the true story of a thirteen-year-old boy in drought-stricken Malawi who uses ingenuity, determination and a handful of library books to build a windmill that transforms his community.

We discuss the outstanding central performance from Alistair Nwachukwu as William, alongside Madeline Appiah as his mother Agnes and Sifiso Mazibuko as his father Trywell. The inventive use of puppetry, Frankie Bradshaw’s vibrant set and costume design, Oliver Fenwick’s lighting and George Dennis’ soundscape combine to create a production that celebrates resilience, imagination and the power of education to change lives.

Three remarkable stories. Three very different worlds. One episode about the courage to confront fear, challenge injustice and dream beyond the impossible.