A plan by a theatre to give free tickets to divorced women has attracted complaints from men claiming sex discrimination.

The New Ambassadors Theatre in London's West End will admit women who take their decrees nisi to Thursday's matinee of The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband.

Nobody expected there to be an uproar - we just thought it would be a fun thing to do

Spokeswoman

Producers came up with the plan in the hope that it would boost matinee attendances and attract audiences who could relate to the play's anti-male theme.

But it has received complaints from men and been declared unlawful by the Equal Opportunities Commission.

Despite the complaints, producers are considering extending the offer to every matinee until the show closes.

The play, starring Alison Steadman and Daisy Donovan, is about a woman who plans to eat her husband after discovering his affair with a younger woman.

Surprised

"It's very much a feel-good play that has really attracted quite a female audience, not unlike the Vagina Monologues," a spokeswoman for the show told BBC News Online.

Producers were surprised that people were aggrieved by the offer, she said.

"We just thought that this was a fitting way to market the play.

"Nobody expected there to be an uproar. We just thought it would be a fun thing to do."

Discrimination

One complainer, Martin Godden, told the London Evening Standard newspaper: "If someone had a play called The Man Who Barbecued His Wife and invited every man with a divorce, the feminists would be up in arms."

The theatre has received between 10 and 15 complaints, the spokeswoman said.

The Equal Opportunities Commission looked into the matter after receiving a complaint.

"Under the sex discrimination act, it is unlawful to limit access to any goods, facilities or services solely to women or to men," a spokeswoman said.

This has definitely perked up our matinees

Spokeswoman

"So we would certainly advise those trying to find novel ways of marketing something to avoid this kind of promotion."

But the producers have refused to call off the offer and see it as a possible way to fill up future performances.

"Matinees are a bit slow in the West End," the show's spokeswoman said.

"This has definitely perked up our matinees - it seems to be the thing that we needed to give the matinees a boost."

Matinees usually attract as few as 100 people, she said - but Thursday's show is expected to attract 300 as a result of the offer.