Chingford actor Lorenzo Camporese is staring in a play at the Union Theatre in London that has been specifically written for him.

The Moment is a tale about a man called Mark (played by Paul Conway) who wakes up in a room, although he is not sure where he is or how he got there.

All he knows is that hes had a strange primeval dream and hes now faced by Lorenzo's character, a menacing adversary called Tony who interrogates him, playing on his feelings of guilt and fear.

Director Charles Verrall was inspired to write this play for both performers after seeing them together at his improvisation workshops.

A former co-director of the Anna Scher Theatre Group, Charles has worked on plays that include, The Boy Next Door (with Pauline Quirke) and Deadly Dollars (with Kathy Burke).

A delighted Lorenzo said: "Charles has worked with many excellent people in the business and while as an actor you might have a good agent getting you work, but it is still good to go to a class like his.

"It was there that Charles saw my work and decided to write a play for the first time in eleven years, which is a real honour for me to be cast in."

As the play develops it emerges that the room is part of an infinite series, in time and space, containing all the worlds possibilities of sex, violence, love and fear.

Fluid transformations of character, time and place occur and issues of masculinity and meaning are raised, which culminates in a bitter conflict between the men and a desire to exorcise their demons and escape from them and the room.

Describing his latest role Lerenzo says: "This is truly a brilliant character, which any actor would love to play.

"I am this guy, who has a personality that blows hot and cold, because one moment he wants to be your friend and the next he wants to kill you - basically he is just this psychotic person."

However Lorenzo is all to familiar with this kind of charter, after playing a number of similar parts in ITV's The Bill, London's Burning and BBC's Casualty.

He adds: "I have been lucky that I've been given some great characters to play over the years, that have included drug dealers, a guy who beat-up a paedophile and a Millwall supporting skin head, who runs a night club.

"I guess I just get all the nice roles, but I would like to think they are the ones people remember."

The Moment opens this Tuesday and runs until Saturday November 24 at the Union Theatre, Union Street London SE1.

Tickets are 9.50 and 6.50 concessions. For more information or to book call the box office on 7261 9876.

October 23, 2001 10:30