It was a glaringly hot day in London. Even the police were wearing short sleeved shirts. Victoria hurried along the bustling and packed streets. She was breathing fast and kept glancing at her phone to check the time and location. Using an app to find the small theater.
Just turned nineteen and still in drama school. She had spotted the open auditions by chance. Desperate to get a part in a London play. Vicki had bought a ticket to London.
The course she was on would give her extra credit and an extension if she got a part in a production. The course she had chosen offered the opportunity to start acting early. A major part of why she had picked that particular Drama school.
Having never left Yorkshire. The size and scape of London was dizzying. If she could have afforded one, she would have caught a Taxi at the Train station.
The streets were confusing. If she hadn't had her phone, she would soon have been hopelessly lost. The scorching hot weather didn't help either.
As a young girl from Yorkshire. She simply wasn't used to weather so hot. There were the odd hot days where she lived, but they were rare. This was the third week for London's heat wave and the roads shimmered with heat haze. Rippling the air like a mirage.
Vicki huffed as she dodged around an old man. Her hair was damp with sweat and she wiped her brow.
"Fuck me." She exclaimed in frustration. Undoing another button of her blouse as she hurried along.
Unsure what to expect at the auditions. She had opted for a smarter look than she usually went with. A plain pale-yellow blouse and a tight-fitting brown skirt. Grey tights and a pair of brown leather high heeled stilettoes that had an open toe. The shoes pinched her feet a bit but looked good with the skirt.
The jacket she had been wearing was now folded over her arm. Far too stifling to wear in the heat. The sleeves of her blouse were thankfully short.
Her heels clicked rapidly as she half walked half ran. More of a trot than anything else. Naturally busty. Vicki wished she had chosen a different bra. The lacy half cup one she wore didn't hold her tits well as they bounced and jiggled from her pace.
Now, with four buttons of her blouse undone. The pale flesh of her jiggling boobs was highly visible. A few men smiled as she passed them. She didn't mind. Vicky was used to being looked at and quite liked it normally.
She checked her phone at a corner and sighed in relief. She was close and soon found the back entrance to the tiny theater.
The door was propped open with a mop bucket. She was a little surprised there was no line of people waiting to audition outside.
She shook out her long blonde hair and checked her face in a small vanity mirror. Satisfied she looked okay if a little sweaty. She walked inside.
It was very quiet and slightly musty smelling.
A short corridor led to the stage.
She felt nervous. Checked the time again and wondered if she was too late. The auditions should have started an hour ago. She worried she had missed them.
Taking a breath. Vicky found the stage and walked onto it.
She sighed inwardly. Relieved to see a man sitting in the front row. He wore glasses and was reading a book. His shirt was white and his trousers a plain grey. With a full head of wavy salt and pepper hair. He looked around forty-five and quite distinguished.
"Erm. Hi... sorry I'm late." She said.
The man glanced at her and then returned to his book.
"Very late. Auditions were yesterday." He told her in a bored tone. He had seen plenty of wannabe actresses lately. Many had been just as pretty as the girl on stage.
"But... I ... I checked." She gasped out. Her tummy feeling like it had been punched.
"Obviously not... goodbye." He replied without looking up.
Vicky felt totally crushed as she looked around the stage. The smell of it. Wood, paint and makeup, all teased her senses. Just standing on it felt amazing.
She took a deep breath and a step forward.
"Please. I came down from Yorkshire... could you at least let me do a reading?" she pleaded.
The man sighed and looked her up and down.
"Fine. Do your worst." He said as he closed his book and crossed his legs.
Vicky beamed and gushed her thanks. The man just rolled his eyes and motioned for her to get on with it.
Slightly abashed yet still enthusiastic. She went into her reading. Her voice changed as she projected it beautifully. Her accent altering to the character. Her demeanor becoming totally different.
The man started to clap. It wasn't a nice clap. It was sardonic. She faltered and then stopped her performance as he got up and walked on stage.
"Shakespeare? Every idiot does Shakespeare... here, read this." He said holding out the book he had been reading. Pointing to a passage.
Vicky scanned the page quickly.
"This. This is fifty shades of Grey. How do I do this? It's not a stage script or play, there are no directions." She said in confusion.
The man shrugged.
"Act or don't Act. It's up to you. Personally, I would suggest you get into the role and improvise." He told her. Raising a challenging eyebrow.
Vicky gulped and then nodded. Her first nod was weak, and she knew it. Firming herself and telling herself that she could do this. She nodded again. This time with more determination.
The man stepped back and pointed at her. cueing her to begin.
Vicky rolled her head and shook out her fingers. Took two deep breaths and then started to Improv the scene she had read.
