Second Best
Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: Riverside Studios, London
Cast: Asa Butterfield
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 playing at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith from 4-22 February. This one person show is based on the fictional bestselling book by David Foenkinos. Barney Norris has adapted the play and it stars Asa Butterfield as Martin Hill, marking his stage debut.
As a 10 year old, Martin auditions for the part of Harry Potter but loses the part to Daniel Radcliffe. He is now facing fatherhood and the memories of the past flood back. Martin returns to his childhood trauma with memories about the separation of his parents and death of his father intertwined with the Harry Potter rejection. As Potter mania takes over the world, Martin becomes more and more obsessed with what might have been. A chance encounter with Daniel Radcliffe and the prospect of fatherhood finally make him realise the grass is not always greener.
This is a poignant but funny tale about the different paths life takes. Asa Butterfield is wonderful as Harry. He delivers a performance that is multi-layered, flitting between both funny and moving. Having seen Butterfield shine on screen, it was a pleasure to see him flourish just as brightly on the stage.
The staging from Fly Davis is simple with a few props used to take the audience from scene to scene, with ease. This paired with the use of stark and dim lighting from Paule Constable creates effective storytelling and only enhances what is already a brilliant production.
I enjoyed this well-written and well-acted comedy drama; it's more than worthy of a watch if you're able to get a ticket in its very limited run at what is a gorgeous theatre.
You can book tickets to see Second Best, here.
Review by Ed
**photo credit: Hugo Glendinning**
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