REVIEW: Spotlight Players' A Celebration of Christmas show, Eastbourne

"Never perform with children or animals" is a well-known maxim. Young Bethany Gardener, with her charming renditions of "Away in a Manger" and "Little Donkey" proved the truth of this. Undeterred by the absence of the traditional pantomime, Ross Norman donned his Dame's costume, in between raising a lot of laughs in his persona of Mr Bean. And Barry Parks looked fetching in a tutu! Seasonal sketches from TV comic series "Bottom", "The Vicar of Dibley" and "Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em" provided further humour, interspersed with a wide-ranging selection of Christmas songs - from "White Christmas" and "Good King Wenceslas", to "Fairytale of New York" and the poignant "Do They Know It's Christmas?". The audience had fun joining in some of the popular songs. Proceeds from the raffle and refreshments amounted to £400, which will be divided between Hailsham Ward at the DGH, and Macmillan Cancer Support, two charities supported by former long-standing Spotlight member, the late Danny Clifford".