Estate agent Glenn Mishon was centre stage when he met the cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Whistle Down the Wind at the Theatre Royal, Brighton.

The hit musical was sponsored during its Brighton run by his firm Mishon Mackay, in only the second sponsorship deal of its kind since the Ambassadors Theatre Group bought the historic theatre in 1999.

Mr Mishon said: "I have long been a supporter of music and the arts.

"The theatre is a vibrant place and, with a major refit having just been completed, it must surely be one of the finest in the South-East.

"I hope this will be the first of many partnerships we will enjoy at the Theatre Royal."

Theatre development manager Toni Darton said: "Having such a prominent local company sponsoring a show like this is a wonderful step forward for the Theatre Royal.

"We are very keen to build links with local companies and hope this will be the start of a long and fruitful partnership."

A number of Sussex firms, including Southern FM, Telegen UK, Integra and Medialab, have become involved with the theatre by joining its three-tiered corporate membership scheme, Centrestage, which offers a number of benefits.