Little Common players mourn Nick

Nick Mills, director, actor, comedy actor, singer and dancer, has died in the Conquest Hospital at the age of 68.

Of all his many on-stage accomplishments, however, Nick will be remembered with particular affection for his pantomime dames. It was a role he loved and in which he excelled.

In retirement, Nick had worked part-time at Hair By Marilyn in Sackville Road for Marilyn Stanley.

They also shared for many years their active participation in LCB Players.

Marilyn said this week: "I suppose I had known Nick for 20 years. He was not involved with LCB straight away but when he came along they knew immediately that they didn't need to audition him.

"I believe he had been with another company before coming here. He was certainly highly skilled and talented.

"When we did Gasmask he was in the sketch where the soldiers were writing home to their wives. He just kept making up his own lines. He was a hoot!

"When we did 'Allo, 'Allo he played Lt. Gruber. He had us doubled up with laughter, he was so good.

"He loved playing the Dame. He was marvellous as the Dame in pantomime.

"He was a good singer and a wonderful dancer. He loved to sing and dance on stage but he also loved to dance socially; he was very good.

"If we danced friends used to call us 'Barry and Yvonne' '“ from Hi-Di Hi.

"He could learn his lines straight away and just loved being on stage.

"He was also a very good director. He would shout and holler at us a bit '“ but he always got what he wanted and we respected him for it.

"Wherever he was he was always having a laugh. He was one of those people who could turn tragedy into comedy in real life, find humour in a difficult situation and ease things.

"He would laugh at life, really. He was a lovely man. Everyone is going to miss him so much.

"You have seen him on stage '“ well he was like that off-stage. He wasn't two people..."

Nick's funeral will be at St Mark's Church, Little Common, on Monday at 1.30pm followed by interment at Bexhill Cemetery at 2.30pm.