Defending Alastair Macaulay’s Jibe at Ballerina’s Weight

“Of course, Macaulay is absolutely in the right. If critics must judge according to the self-esteem of the performers rather than the merits of the production, then there is no point in publishing. Friends and family can write the reviews. … [I]ntegrity and intensity of response is the critic’s gift. And it is the critics who bring in the audiences as well as putting them off.”