It may sound daft but try asking what others in your trade use. You may even find that some camera-phones will do the job which might kill two birds with one stone as it were.
I have a feeling that if you want something with a strong flash then you'll need a camera with a hot-shoe and a separate flash, but that makes things a bit bulky/heavy to lug around.
Taken with a Nokia 6500 Slide
Video cameras often work well in low light too. My Sony HandycamDCR-SR55 can just about fit in a big pocket and has a built-in infra-red lamp for use in the dark!
A still from video shot in the dock at 1 a.m. this morning!