No longer booking
  • Venue Riverside Studios, London
  • Performance dates Booking to 1 March 2025
  • Running time 90 minutes (no interval)
  • Age guidelines 11+

Get tickets to Second Best starring Asa Butterfield

Asa Butterfield (Sex Education) makes his hugely anticipated stage debut in new play Second Best.

Second Best is a playful, poignant story about fate, loss and how the lives we dreamed of might not always be the best for us.

The show centres on Martin Hill (Asa Butterfield), who as a 10 year old child actor narrowly missed out on the role of a lifetime playing Harry Potter. Now an adult, Martin is about to embark on the ultimate adventure – fatherhood.

Written by Barney Norris, based on the international best-selling novel by David Foenkinos, Second Best is directed by former Donmar Warehouse artistic director Michael Longhurst (Next to Normal).

This exquisitely bittersweet comedy about life’s missed opportunities is not to be missed.

Second Best is playing at the Riverside Studios in London from 24 January to 1 March 2025.

At ten years old, Martin Hill was on the brink of stardom, down to the final two contenders for the role of Harry Potter but narrowly missing out. Now an adult, Martin is about to embark on the ultimate adventure – fatherhood. As he navigates this whirlwind of emotions, he is pulled back to that pivotal moment in his past as he struggled to move beyond imagining what his life might have been. 

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of Second Best?

Starring Asa Butterfield

Who are the creative team of Second Best?

Written by Barney Norris, based on a novel by David Foenkinos

Directed by Michael Longhurst

Set and costume designer Fly Davis, Lighting design by Paule Constable, and Sound design and score by Richard Hammarton

Produced by Simon Friend Entertainment

 

Important Notes

Content advice: Very mild references to trauma and mental illness

Access performances: Captioned Performance 18th February, 8pm

Ages: Recommended for 11+ Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Note: This production is not connected to the official Harry Potter series or endorsed by author JK Rowling

Venue Information

Riverside Studios , 101 Queen Caroline Street, London, W6 9BN

Nearest Tube or Train: Hammersmith Broadway

Nearest Buses: 9, 9a,10, 11, 27, 33, 72, 91, 220, 283 and 295

Directions

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Critics' reviews of Second Best

★★★★ "An unexpected tale for our times, piercing and perceptive, and very, very funny" - What's On Stage

★★★★ "Asa, it turns out, is pretty ace when it comes to performing in front of a live audience" - The i Paper

Also see: Second Best Reviews Round-up

Frequently Asked Questions

Second Best is playing at the Riverside Studios in London
The running time of Second Best is 90 minutes (no interval)
The age recommendations for Second Best are: 11+
Yes, Second Best has matinee performances on the following days: Thursday, Saturday
No, sorry, Second Best has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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