“Freedom to express opinions is a cornerstone of our liberties, and if one has the right to bravo noisily, one must stand up for the right to boo noisily too. In any case, as a critic, I suppose I rank as a professional booer (and cheerer too, on occasion), so it would be hypocritical of me to argue on the side of politesse. Nevertheless, there are complexities and contradictions in our attitude to booing.”