Sex Education star cast in Potter-inspired play
· BBC NewsSteven McIntosh
Entertainment reporter
Sex Education star Asa Butterfield is to take on his first ever stage role, in a new one-man play inspired by Harry Potter.
Second Best will tell the fictional story of a boy who narrowly missed out on playing the young wizard in the film series, and the impact it has on him later in life.
The play will mark Butterfield's first ever theatre role, following a screen career which has included The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and X+Y.
In a statement, Butterfield described Second Best as "equal parts hilarious and heart-breaking, a universal tale of ‘what ifs’."
He added: "I can’t wait to bring it to life on stage for the very first time.”
The show will play at Hammersmith's Riverside Studios for a month from 24 January 2025.
Second Best follows the fictional Martin Hill, who was 10 years old when he became one of the final two contenders to play Harry Potter.
But despite being within touching distance of a role which could have changed his life, he was ultimately beaten by Daniel Radcliffe.
Second Best explores the impact missing out on instant stardom has on Hill in later life. Now an adult and about to be a father, Hill navigates his emotions as he is reminded of the pivotal moment in his past he struggled to get over.
The show is not connected to the official Harry Potter series or endorsed by author JK Rowling.
In her review of the novel last year, the Telegraph's Catherine Lough noted:, external "It’s all a playful blend of fiction and fact: just as Martin is never entirely sure where he ends and Harry begins, the reader is unsure as to which elements are invented and which aren’t.
"In a society where we often only discuss failure as a precursor to success – those, such as JK Rowling, who fail once to fail better – Second Best says something more hopeful: that to be ordinary is a success of its own."
The premise sprang from a real-life anecdote told by the film’s casting director, who said Radcliffe faced competition from another young actor who was “terrific and very vulnerable”.
Radcliffe is said to have landed the role after having the courage to show another side of the character, by which Harry would also become “very powerful”.
Producer Simon Friend said the novel "immediately cried out to be told on stage" when he read it last year.
The stage adaptation is written by Barney Norris, based on David Foenkinos’ best-selling novel of the same name, and will be directed by Michael Longhurst.
Butterfield said: "It really broke my heart, reading this play, and it made me laugh out loud, and I'm excited to bring that to life and make it my own."
The 27-year-old actor is best known for his role as Otis Milburn in Sex Education, one of Netflix's biggest hits of recent years, which aired its fourth and final series last September.