Pop superstar Robbie Williams has turned his talents to the theatre by making a surprise appearance in a Brighton panto.

The 25-year-old chart-topper stole the show in a performance of Aladdin at the Theatre Royal by singing one of his hits to the audience of just under 1,000.

Williams, who regularly performs to sell-out crowds at stadiums and arenas, was invited to appear in the one-off adult version of the panto by his cousin, and leading actor, Jonathan Wilkes.

'Standing ovation'

Half an hour into the play, peppered with spicy jokes, the stage fell into darkness before a spotlight suddenly revealed the former Take That star.

Dressed in jeans and trainers, Williams delighted the audience by singing She's The One.

Bill Tinsley, stage door manager at the theatre, said: "Everyone was totally surprised.

"We are a 951-seater auditorium. Robbie is more used to playing upwards of 50,000 so it was a very personal performance. He got a standing ovation," he enthused.

"There were quite a few young women in the audience and they went mad. There was hysteria, screaming and screeching but everyone behaved themselves.

"After the song, Robbie left through the back of the stage, walked through the bar and back to the box where he had been sitting all along and watched the rest of the show. No one knew he was there."

Charity support

Former Olympic gold medallist ice-skater Robin Cousins also made a fleeting appearance on stage, gliding across on a pair of roller skates.

Otherwise, the cast of the charity show was unknown. The performance raised £10,000 for Macmillan Cancer Research and Brighton Cares, which supports people with Aids and who are HIV positive.

It was dedicated to the theatre's long-standing manager Roger Neil, who died from cancer on Boxing Day.