A & E

It starts in my chest and works its way down and up, this numbness and tingling, like very strong pins and needles. I keep my eyes open because I'm scared to close them, while Amy and the rest of the cast continue with the scene, but I can tell by her voice that she's not comfortable with what she's seeing, nor with Anna telling me to keep on breathing. As it reaches my face I suddenly think "Christ, it's really happening. I'm going to die here. How ridiculous" and at that point I suppose survival takes over and I say "Stop it, please stop it" through this deformed, almost immobile mouth.

Anna immediately gets up and stops the show - first addressing the audience and, through them, Maria and Alex in the box. She asks for assistance from the audience, and over the confusion of whether it's a stunt or not (as some people understandably think) two people appear either side of me, one immediately starts monitoring my pulse and the other my temperature - they speak in a shorthand - "racing", "steady but very elevated", and so on. I'm aware of the cast around me, but the man on my left monitoring my pulse is keeping me talking and holding my attention. The numbness is washing up in tides over my face and I'm panicking, but the calming influences on both sides of me start to work.

The auditorium is clear now, and the numbness and panic begins to subside as the paramedics arrive.