Treadwell’s in the Public Eye

The Royal Shakespeare Company – engaged Christina Oakley Harrington of Treadwell’s as a consultant on their portayal of the witches in their upcoming 2004 production of Macbeth. She spoke to the cast about early modern folk practices, beliefs about cursing, and diabolical symbolism.

The Times – when Treadwell’s Christina Oakley Harrington was the subject of an interview article on early modern witchcraft beliefs in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The interview focussed on historical witchcraft belief, along with some contrasts with modern pagan Wicca. She outlined the contents of a talk she had just given to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s cast of Macbeth, mentioned above. (autumn 2004)

Private Eye – an unfortunately long and windy reply to one of the Times interviewer’s questions ended up the following week’s Pseud’s Corner, the cause of much laughter all round Treadwell′s. Christina was probably more amused have made Pseud’s Corner than to have been interviewed in the Times! (autumn 2004)

BBC World Service – Treadwell’s is a regular port of call for programme-makers in the news and religion departments. We have provided interviews for programmes dealing with modern the pagan revival in Europe, with cross-cultural issues in tribal religion, and with Wicca.

Radio Five Live – Treadwell’s supplied an expert on Hallowe’en customs for an on-air discussion that debated superstition in contemporary Britain, during one of FiveLive’s round-table news talks (November 2004).

Resonance Radio – Christina Oakley Harrington appeared on the ‘Mysterious London’ show to discuss London’s history as home for magical practitioners: Lilly, Dee, Culpeper and, more recently, Madame Blavatsky and Aleister Crowley.

Evening Standard Magazine – a half-page short guide to London’s ‘pagan shops’ included the then newly-opened Treadwell’s (summer 2003). A more recent issue ran an article on psychics of London; two of the seven, Becky Walsh and Michael Korel, use Treadwell’s meeting rooms to see clients (January 2005).

Short Film ‘It had to be You’ – Paris-based screenwriter Tama Carroll set one her narrative eerie shorts at Treadwell’s. The shop’s Dickensian look represented an ‘old curiosity shop’ at which a lost and confused man and woman meet their fate (summer 2003).

Destiny TV – one of us from Treadwell’s appeared on one of the company’s daytime talk show to answer questions about modern Wicca, its beliefs and some of the key ideas in its magical practices (autumn 2004).