Behind the Spotlight: A Tale of Passion, Identity, and Forbidden Love Chapter 1 – Show time The characters, locations and events in this story are entirely fictitious and any likeness to the real world is merely coincidental. 'Oliver Perry, this is your five minute call, please make your way to the side stage immediately,' called the cold, metallic voice of the speaker in my dressing room. I wrung my hands nervously as I looked at myself one last time in the mirror before I rose from the rickety wooden chair and departed the room. My heart was pounding, I could feel my pulse quicken as I made my way through the maze of twisty corridors towards the stage. A couple of girls in large white tutu's and a swan like costume hurried towards me. I held the door open for them as they raced past me, no doubt to make a quick costume change. 'Thanks Ollie,' said one of the girls with a warm smile who I recognised as Rebecca Bradshaw, 'good-luck,' she finished as she and her friend turned the corner and vanished. Finally, I found the heavy, sound proofed door that led to the side of the stage and eased it aside. Immediately, I gladly felt my nerves evaporate as my senses became overwhelmed by the power of the theatre. My nostrils became filled with familiar scent of white smoke as I inclined my head upwards and smiled to the warm glow of the lights that basked my face from above. My eyes watched the many, busy stage-hands as they rushed about in a quiet, chaotic way, while my ears were filled with the bellowing sound of Tchaikovsky. 'Ahh Ollie there you are,' whispered the director in her thick, French accent as she urgently grabbed me by the elbow and led me over to my entrance position. 'How are you feeling?' she asked as she hurriedly flicked through some sheets in the clipboard she held in her well manicured hand. 'I'm fine,' I replied through a dry mouth as I gazed upon the performance on the stage that was occurring only a few meters away from me. 'Good, good,' she said absent mindedly, 'you'll be great, I just know it. …and then things took a turn