The Poly Theatre refused to allow a 6-year-old girl, Yuanyuan, to watch a performance while accompanied by her parents on December 13 because her height is less than 1.2 metres, a restriction set by the theatre to ensure a quiet environment for audiences.

A lawsuit in her name was later filed against the Poly Theatre in Beijing's Dongcheng District People's Court, accusing the theatre of age discrimination and infringement of her rights.

Like many other parents, Yuanyuan's mother maintained that her child had the ability to control herself as well as to appreciate the arts.

The mother said the theatre did not follow the Law on the Protection of Minors, which states that theatres, museums and cinemas should admit primary and high school students.

However, the Poly Theatre held a different understanding of the law, claiming that it does not require every one of its performances to be open to students.

The theatre arranges a series of performances suitable for children every year, with tickets sold at a favourable price.

The Nutcracker ballet staged at the Poly Theatre on January 29 and 30 had no height restriction, theatre sources pointed out.

Theatre Manager Ren Wei said Nutcracker is a ballet suitable for children to watch, while the next two scheduled ballets - Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake, performed by the same ballet troupe - will refuse to admit children whose height is under 1.2 metres.

"We have to keep order and quiet in the theatre to guard the interests of most audiences," he said.

Other theatres in the capital, such as the Beijing Music Hall and the Century Theatre, also enforce similar audience height restrictions.

"It is a measure to guarantee a good environment not only for the audience, but also for the performing groups," said Kang Fuhua, deputy-manager of the Century Theatre, which does not admit viewers who are less than 1 metre tall.

"It is common rule of our business, and almost the same around the world," said Ren, who insists that a quiet environment is a must for maintaining a theatre's image and attracting more viewers.

Though it is understandable that parents desire to give their children a chance to enjoy the arts as early as possible, the theatre has no plans to cancel the height restriction, he said.

(China Daily February 7, 2002)