Sex Education star cast in Potter-inspired play

Sex Education prima Asa Butterfield is to instrumentality connected his archetypal ever signifier role, successful a caller one-man play inspired by Harry Potter.

Second Best volition archer the fictional communicative of a lad who narrowly missed retired connected playing the young wizard successful the movie series, and the interaction it has connected him aboriginal successful life.

The play volition people Butterfield's archetypal ever theatre role, pursuing a surface vocation which has included The Boy successful the Striped Pyjamas and X+Y.

In a statement, Butterfield described Second Best arsenic "equal parts hilarious and heart-breaking, a cosmopolitan communicative of ‘what ifs’."

He added: "I can’t hold to bring it to beingness connected signifier for the precise archetypal time.”

The amusement volition play astatine Hammersmith's Riverside Studios for a period from 24 January 2025.

Second Best follows the fictional Martin Hill, who was 10 years aged erstwhile helium became 1 of the last 2 contenders to play Harry Potter.

But contempt being wrong touching region of a relation which could person changed his life, helium was yet beaten by Daniel Radcliffe.

Second Best explores the interaction missing retired connected instant stardom has connected Hill successful aboriginal life. Now an big and astir to beryllium a father, Hill navigates his emotions arsenic helium is reminded of the pivotal infinitesimal successful his past helium struggled to get over.

The amusement is not connected to the authoritative Harry Potter bid oregon endorsed by writer JK Rowling.

In her reappraisal of the caller past year, the Telegraph's Catherine Lough noted: "It’s each a playful blend of fabrication and fact: conscionable arsenic Martin is ne'er wholly definite wherever helium ends and Harry begins, the scholar is unsure arsenic to which elements are invented and which aren’t.

"In a nine wherever we often lone sermon nonaccomplishment arsenic a precursor to occurrence – those, specified arsenic JK Rowling, who neglect erstwhile to neglect amended – Second Best says thing much hopeful: that to beryllium mean is simply a occurrence of its own."

The premise sprang from a real-life anecdote told by the film’s casting director, who said Radcliffe faced contention from different young histrion who was “terrific and precise vulnerable”.

Radcliffe is said to person landed the relation aft having the courageousness to amusement different broadside of the character, by which Harry would besides go “very powerful”.

Producer Simon Friend said the caller "immediately cried retired to beryllium told connected stage" erstwhile helium work it past year.

The signifier adaptation is written by Barney Norris, based connected David Foenkinos’ best-selling caller of the aforesaid name, and volition beryllium directed by Michael Longhurst.

Butterfield said: "It truly broke my heart, speechmaking this play, and it made maine laughter retired loud, and I'm excited to bring that to beingness and marque it my own."

The 27-year-old histrion is champion known for his relation arsenic Otis Milburn successful Sex Education, 1 of Netflix's biggest hits of caller years, which aired its 4th and last bid past September.