I was invited by my friend during the May Day holidays to see a performance in the Lyceum Theatre. It is nearly two decades since I was last there. While the surroundings remain more or less the same as they used to be, the theatre itself is almost unrecognizable after its tremendous recent facelift.

It stands out in a full blaze of splendor, side by side with the magnificent Jinjiang Hotel complex just next door, blending itself in perfect harmony with the whole charming dignity of the plane-tree lined area.

For all its shining brilliance however, I had a strange feeling standing in front of it as if it were not the theatre I used to frequent but rather a completely new, unfamiliar edifice. An upsurge of emotion rose in my heart as I fixed my eyes on the facade of this grand playhouse and its foyer. My memory stretched back to my school days some 50 years ago.

When I attended college in the fifties, I went past the Lyceum Theatre every day on my way to school. It was called the Shanghai People's Arts Theatre at that time and had a simple yet imposing look. Scenes of past encounters with the theatre were still vivid in my mind as I recollected all the enjoyment it brought me and a love for the arts I have developed since.

Apart from seeing movies, I derived great pleasure from watching classical drama works or enjoying concerts, all of the highest level, even judged by today's criteria. And, with the low price of tickets, they were accessible to people from all walks of life. Not only could I enjoy the first-rate performances, staged by the most brilliant actors, actresses or musicians Shanghai has ever boasted of but I was able to afford it from time to time, even as a student having only meagre disposable pocket money.

That was history. With the refurbishment of the theatre comes a sharp rise in ticket prices. For all its glit and glamour, those of us who are in our sixties or seventies, living off a pension, can no longer readily enjoy what was previously so easy. Much less can we afford to feast our eyes on big shows any time our inclinations may incline us to.

A tint of sorrow creeps into my mind as I recall the "good old times" that are gone, never to return. Actually this problem is by no means confined to the Lyceum, but is representative of the status quo with the entertainment industry today as a whole, and high-end performances in particular.

Now please do not get me wrong. I am not bemoaning my bygone "God-like" days, much less complaining about the present. To boost the image of Shanghai as a metropolis when it is pressing forward in a period of full bloom, it not only needs to build up a proud, modern skyline, but should also restore a number of landmark buildings of historical significance to their former grandeur. And in this respect, I am proud to be able to stand as a witness to the restoration of the Lyceum Theatre. As to the price of tickets, it is also understandable that the price be subject to the market. We all know that the entertainment industry today is a big business as it should be. I just hope that theatres and other public places of entertainment will not look upon their activities as sheer profit-oriented events, thus unknowingly overlooking the interests of elderly people.

Statistics from demographic authorities reveals that senior residents in Shanghai now account for over 18 per cent of the city's population.

Can society bear to go on shutting its eyes to the physical and spiritual needs of the elderly in their remaining years?

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