Sadler's Wells sued for sex discrimination by four managers

The Sadler's Wells theatre, one of the world's leading dance venues, is being sued for sex discrimination by four senior female managers who allege that they unfairly lost their jobs under its new French chief executive.

The women, including the London theatre's administrator, marketing director and head of development, are bringing their claim that they were dismissed by Jean-Luc Choplin because of their sex to an employment tribunal.

They allege that of the six senior management positions at the theatre, the four female holders of the posts were made redundant or forced to step down while the remaining two men were promoted. The theatre denies the claims.

After M. Choplin arrived last year, some top staff at the theatre were asked to apply for their jobs, but it is claimed the two men were not asked to do so and were given new posts.

The women – Carole Britten, head of marketing for eight years; Nadia Stern, administrator for 13 years; Paula Gillespie, general manager of the theatre's West End off-shoot; and Emma Davidson, head of development – believe the purge was inspired by M. Choplin.

Ms Stern said: "We are dealing with someone who has a very big ego. There have been enormous achievements in the past at Sadler's Wells. But M. Choplin obviously feels he can't measure up to that and is trying to rubbish the past."

Three of the women are claiming sex discrimination, having been made redundant in March when their appeals to the theatre's board were turned down. Ms Gillespie is also claiming constructive dismissal after she left her post last month.

The women, who are funding their case, decided to push ahead with an employment tribunal last week after lawyers acting for Sadler's Wells rejected their claims.

The theatre, in Islington, north London, has built up a reputation as one of Britain's most artistically and commercially successful venues, attracting the world's leading dance companies, including the Royal Ballet, and last year achieving a surplus of £600,000.

The arrival of M. Choplin, who worked for 12 years for the Disney Corporation and helped to found Disneyland Paris, brought concern that his corporate style would not be a comfortable match with the more rarefied agenda of a ballet theatre, albeit one whose founding principle is to provide dance for all incomes.

When he took up his post, M. Choplin said: "My goal in life has always been to bring sophisticated art to everybody and to break walls down between art and entertainment."

Before joining Disney, he was managing director of the Paris Opera Ballet for five years, and worked closely with Rudolf Nureyev.

Last night a Sadler's Wells spokeswoman pointed out that M. Choplin had appointed a woman to head one of its reshaped departments. She said: "M. Choplin was appointed by the trustees to develop the theatre as a world-class performing arts centre. He is not sexist. He is not an autocrat."

A government report last week criticised a £43m refurbishment of the theatre completed in 1998. The Public Accounts Committee said it went £22m over budget, largely because problems were not spotted at the planning stage. The project had a National Lottery grant of £36m.