BABY Spice Emma Bunton was a surprise guest at the Theatre Royal in Brighton last night.

Emma shared a private box with television presenter Dani Behr at the performance of A Slice of Saturday Night after signing autographs for fans.

But the show's main star, Barbara Dickson, pulled out of the show because her son was ill.

Ten-year-old Oliver suffered a burst appendix on Friday and the singer and her husband are keeping a vigil by his hospital bedside in Lincoln.

Her role in the musical was taken by Gina Murray.

Gina's sister Maz joined Emma and Dani to watch the show.

Gina, whose father Mitch wrote Sixties hits I Like It and the Ballad Of Bonny And Clyde, received rapturous applause from the audience after her performance as nightclub owner Erica Devine.

Show manager Russell Watson praised her performance but said he was still hopeful that Barbara would return later this week.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.