Second Best
Closing: February 22, 2025Second Best - 2025 West End History , Info & More
Riverside Studios
Hammersmith London
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.
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. A story about the tender moments that shape
us, Second Best is for anyone who has ever wondered about the road not taken, and whether the other life would have been as glittering as it looks.
Starring Asa Butterfield (Netflix’s Sex Education) in his stage debut, written by Barney Norris, based on David Foenkinos’ best-selling novel and directed by Michael Longhurst.
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Captioned: 18 February, 8pm
Second Best - 2025 - West End Cast
FEATURED REVIEWS FOR Second Best
'Second Best' review — Asa Butterfield is a quiet revelation as a man struggling to reconcile his past with his future
8 / 10
Asa Butterfield came to fame as Otis in Netflix’s Sex Education and will be a huge draw for many. He makes a highly assured stage debut here. It’s quite the task to hold an audience’s attention alone for 90 minutes straight-through. However, Butterfield is convincing and compelling as both Martin and his imitations of a variety of other characters, such as an overbearing film producer and his mother’s bullying boyfriend. Butterfield really inhabits the role; he is both very likeable and hugely vulnerable.
Second Best review: Asa Butterfield makes a life-affirming theatre debut
9 / 10
Asa Butterfield has been in many things in his life so far, playing many characters. It’s evident he’s an excellent actor, but Second Best may be one of his greatest performances so far. This is an 80-minute story you don’t want to miss out on.
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by Chloe Rabinowitz - February 5, 2025
Second Best, starring Asa Butterfield, will present an extra week of performances at the Riverside Studios. Learn more about the show and see how to purchase tickets.
by Amber-Rae Stobbs - February 4, 2025
The human psyche is something so easily disturbed, and Barney Norris’s newest play-adaptation is a prime example of that. Based on the novel by David Foenkinos, Second Best tells of Martin Hill - the boy who felt he never fully lived.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - February 4, 2025
Asa Butterfield is making his theatrical debut in the comedy-drama Second Best, directed by Michael Longhurst and written by Barney Norris. See what the critics are saying and read the reviews.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - January 30, 2025
Asa Butterfield is making his theatrical debut in the comedy-drama Second Best, directed by Michael Longhurst and written by Barney Norris. Get a first look at photos here!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - January 21, 2025
Opening at the Riverside Studios this Friday (24 January), Asa Butterfield will swap the small and silver screens for the stage, as he makes his theatrical debut in the comedy-drama Second Best. See rehearsal photos and videos here!
Second Best History
Other Productions of Second Best
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