REVIEW - Wink, Theatre503, Battersea

FOUR STARS

IF you have ever wondered how powerful a tool the internet is I suggest you see WINK, a new play by Phoebe Eclair-Powell.

It is a cautionary tale about what can happen when you go online, surf the net, create a social media profile and then press the send button.

Set in South London with lots of local references, it is a two-hander about John, a good looking 27-year-old French teacher who has a penchant for porn, affairs and a drink or two and who also has a live-in girlfriend called Claire.

One of his students, Mark, is 16, with two siblings, a mum still grieving for her late husband, and a similarly unhealthy addiction to porn.

Thinking John has it all, Mark wants to be like him. So one night when he can't sleep he logs on to Facebook and discovers John's profile.

He does a bit more digging and finds out all about John's life - including that he has a glamorous girlfriend in Claire who works for Lloyds Bank.

In a moment of madness Mark creates a fictitious profile of Tim Walker, who also works for Lloyds Bank. He presses the send button for Friend Request and waits.

Meanwhile, in his Crystal Palace flat John logs onto Claire's Facebook account, sees Tim's friend request and panics.

Has his girlfriend been playing away? Who is Tim? And more importantly, what is he going to do about it?

For a debut play it's brilliant - a tight script, great characterisation and an entirely believable story.

Witty, dramatic, punchy and absorbing it is well staged and Leon Williams as John and Sam Clemmett as Mark put in great performances.

WINK is on at Theatre503, The Latchmere, Battersea Park Road until Saturday, April 4. Tickets cost £15 or pay what you can on Sundays. Visit www.theatre503.com or call the box office on 020 7978 7040.