Talk:Royal Central School of Speech and Drama

History, Princess Alexandra and Royal Title.

I have marked the citation as a dead link, but not yet removed it, because I have not yet been able to find an alternative citation. Given the way they are written, most of the citations that I have found, seem to copy/follow the Wikipedia article.--ServeDotty (talk) 13:34, 8 March 2021 (UTC)

A curse

May they forever be remembered as the fools who rejected Penelope Keith on the grounds that she was too tall. Pity there's no appropriate way to work that into the article. Lawikitejana (talk) 00:29, 25 September 2023 (UTC)

Chris Goode Controversy

British Theatre Transparency posted this on my userpage, but the talk should be taking place here: "You recently attempted to remove the controversy section from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama’s Wikipedia page, which summarises the institution’s past association with playwright and director Chris Goode. Goode met his future husband while serving as a guest lecturer at the school, when his husband was a student (they started dating whilst his husband was a student and he was a lecturer). In 2021, Goode was arrested in connection with allegations of child sexual abuse and possession of child sexual abuse material after his husband reported finding over two decades’ worth of such material, including images of infants, on Goode’s personal computer. Goode died by suicide shortly thereafter, and in his suicide note expressed praise for the creators of child sexual abuse material. While the school has not issued a public statement on this matter or published any updates to its safeguarding policies in relation to the alleged circumstances, these details are supported by reliable published sources and meet Wikipedia’s verifiability standard. The section records a notable aspect of the school’s history, in line with Wikipedia’s requirement to include significant, well-sourced information, irrespective of whether it reflects positively or negatively on the subject." British Theatre Transparency (talk) 10:18, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

I didn't "attempt to remove" the controversy section; I removed it. I have no doubts about the reliability of the sources and the facticity of the affair, but this is not the right place for it. Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, not a platform for activists, as laudable as your cause may be. My argument is that Goode and his husband are not sufficiently well-known to go into the institutional history of RCSSD. -- Melchior2006 (talk) 10:33, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

He was the artistic director of Camden People's Theatre from 2001-2004, which was itself founded by faculty members of the school. His company 'Chris Goode & Company' was a national portfolio organisation and in receipt of permanent funding from Art Council England, in much the same way nationally significant theatres and cultural institutions get funded. Simply because you are unaware of the historical significance and level of integration that Chris Goode had with the School doesn't mean the entire controversy is not part of the institutional history. It might not be comfortable but it is factual and relevant. British Theatre Transparency (talk) 10:42, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

Let's see what other editors think. -- Melchior2006 (talk) 10:53, 10 August 2025 (UTC)

I'm with @Melchior2006 on this one. This is not about the school. Dating a student is unethical but not notable. Rublamb (talk) 14:23, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

Agreed. This does not appear to be about the school. Robminchin (talk) 23:12, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

Do reliable sources support any statement that the Royal Central School facilitated Goode's possession of child sexual abuse materials, or knew about his possession of such materials but failed to act while he was associated with the school? If not, then this looks like an attempt to tar the school for something they were not responsible for, i.e., guilt by association. - Donald Albury 13:33, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

The controversy section doesn't detail his pedophilia, only his abusive practices against young adult actors and that he dated a student whilst he was a visiting lecturer. There have been a large number of former students who have confirmed that the relationship was very public. As for the schools responsibilities, safeguarding students from predators is more than an ethical responsibility - its a professional responsibility. The alarming aspect of this is that the school has never issued any public statements regarding this entire incident and it is notable because they are one of a large body of institutions and theatres that have behaved appallingly in trying to hide their past association with Chris Goode.

It should also be noted just how engrained he was in the fabric of the institution. MA students were encouraged by senior staff members to write essays on his practice, go to multiple of his productions and attempt to impress him when possible. This is not guilt by association, prominent journalists (namely Lyn Gardner) have documented that most of his victims came from RCSSD, St Mary's and The Royal Holloway. This is well documented and noteworthy. British Theatre Transparency (talk) 15:00, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

I was addressing the presence of coverage of Goode's possession of child sexual abuse materials in the article. You did not answer that question, but instead are arguing about issues I did not raise. So, again, are there reliable sources that state that the school knew about Goode's possession of child sexual abuse materials while he was associated with the school? - Donald Albury 15:23, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

In the current article there is no mention of his possession of child sexual abuse materials and no-one is claiming that anyone at the school was aware of his possession of child sexual abuse materials while he was associated with the school. British Theatre Transparency (talk) 15:40, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

Then what the hell is that in the first paragraph of this section? Donald Albury 15:51, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

I think there is a misunderstanding here regarding the article and the talk page. This entire discussion is visible on the talk page of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, as Melchior2006 quite rightly asserted would be the best place for this discussion to be had. The article page of The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama is across on the other tab and that was what I was referring to when I said that "In the current article there is no mention of his possession of child sexual abuse materials and no-one is claiming that anyone at the school was aware of his possession of child sexual abuse materials while he was associated with the school." British Theatre Transparency (talk) 17:24, 11 August 2025 (UTC)

Let's get back to the topic. The third paragraph in the section titled "Controversies" can be deleted without further ado, since it is unsourced. The first two paragraphs should also be deleted, because Goode was only a visiting lecturer. I don't doubt that he tried to seduce some of his students, but it is very difficult to source that and such (reprehensible) behavior is frequent, therefore undue detail. Since all three paragraphs merit deletion, that means that the whole section should go. -- Melchior2006 (talk) 06:57, 12 August 2025 (UTC)

I agree with Melchior2006's argument that the Chris Goode section should be deleted. We do have an article on Chris Goode (playwright). TSventon (talk) 21:42, 13 August 2025 (UTC)

We have reached consensus on this. There is only one editor in favor of keeping the section, that is British Theatre Transparency. All the others are for deletion, and their arguments are convincing. I will delete. -- Melchior2006 (talk) 07:14, 14 August 2025 (UTC)