Sex Education star Asa Butterfield has landed a "hilarious and heartbreaking" new role.
The actor, who played Otis Milburn in the hit Netflix show, is set to make his stage debut in one-man play Second Best.
Based on David Foenkinos's best-selling novel, the production centres around a man who narrowly missed out on playing Harry Potter as a child. Michael Longhurst is directing from a script by Barney Norris.
Second Best will open at London's Riverside Studios next year, where it will play for a limited four-week run from January 24 to February 22.
Tickets are available to purchase now via the show's official website and London Theatre Direct.
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"At ten years old, Martin Hill (Butterfield) was on the brink of stardom, down to the final two contenders for the role of Harry Potter but narrowly missing out," teases the official synopsis for the play.
Now an adult, Martin is preparing to embark on the ultimate adventure: fatherhood. As he processes a whirlwind of emotions, he is pulled back to that pivotal moment in his past as he struggled to come to terms with what his life might have been.
The logline concludes: "Second Best is a playful yet poignant new comedy about fate, near-misses and the winding paths life takes.
"It explores the ache of almost touching greatness and the humour and hope that come when dreams remain just out of reach."
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"It's equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, a universal tale of 'what ifs', and I can't wait to bring it to life on stage for the first time," Butterfield shared in a statement.
Simon Friend, the show's producer, added: "I read David Foenkinos's wonderful novel when it was published last year, and it immediately cried out to be told on stage. It's a coming-of-age story of success and failure, love and loss, and fathers and sons – as well as the universal experience of plans going awry.
"We're incredibly excited about the incomparable Asa Butterfield making his stage debut in Barney Norris's wonderfully funny and moving adaptation of the novel, with Michael Longhurst directing. A team of artists who are most definitely not second best."
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As well as treading the boards, Butterfield has recently landed a role in psychological thriller Out of the Dust.
The Netflix series follows dutiful wife and mother Rosie, whose life in a conservative Christian sect is upended when she crosses paths with escaped convict Sam, who introduces her to a life of emancipation and sexual awakening.
Three Girls star Molly Windsor is set to play Rosie, while Hawkeye's Fra Fee will portray Sam. Butterfield plays the role of Rosie's husband Adam, with Doctor Who's Christopher Eccleston and Happy Valley's Siobhan Finneran on board to play Mr and Mrs Phillips.
Butterfield has also lined up a role in new movie If She Burns, which also stars You's Victoria Pedretti, Hereditary's Alex Wolff and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' Justice Smith.
Second Best will run from January 24, 2025 to February 22, 2025 at the Riverside Studios in London.
Sara is an entertainment journalist who specialises in TV and film. After studying journalism at the University of Roehampton, Sara joined Digital Spy in 2023, writing news (and the occasional feature) on all things entertainment. She has also written for the culture desk at The Evening Standard. A lover of all things TV and film, Sara can wax lyrical about everything from Bridgerton to The Witcher. She can also recite entire episodes of New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation. In her spare time, Sara loves to knit, crochet and cross-stitch. Also a musical theatre aficionado, Sara counts Samantha Barks as one of her heroes and is a loyal fan of Jodie Comer.
