Magi never reveal their secrets. But sometimes, they admit they were wrong.
On Thursday night in London, members of a leading British Magic society met in the right range of three decades: the rejection of what they now consider to be one of the largest deception acts that their members have ever fallen.
“It was a stunning ruse – deceived a room full of magicians,” said Maddie Spencer, 48, who is in the group, known as Magic Circle.
In March 1991, when the club was confined to men, a woman named Sophie Lloyd disguised as a man and won the full participation. (Her nickname: “Raymond Lloyd.”) But when she and her accomplice revealed their ruse later that year – at the same time as the circle began to accept women – society immediately removed her.
For years, “Raymond” has been like a ghost floating in the circle. A reputation or a half -shaped memory. Then, in November last year, the cycle announced publicly for Mrs Lloyd. They wanted to apologize and welcome it back.
On Thursday night, they took a step towards the mistake.
Being magicians, every old “apology” would not. It needed a show worthy of such a bold deception.
So they called about 100 members and visitors to a show and the surprise was revealed on Thursday morning, when Mrs Lloyd’s news reappeared through the British press.
The evening’s performance began with a video editing, with Mrs Lloyd archive photos as Raymond and Jenny Winstanley, a friend, teacher and collaborator.
Then – four acts, two fake rabbits and endless card decks later – the real magic began. Marvin Berglas, president of the circle, apologized to Mrs Lloyd and presented her with a certificate of participation. This time, read “Sophie Lloyd.”
“Tonight, we do what we should have done for a long time,” he said, adding, “on behalf of the magic cycle, past and present, we apologize.”
Ms Lloyd talked about Ms Winstanley, who died in 2004.
“Jenny patiently taught me all the magic I had to know so I could pass my exams,” he said, tearing on stage.
The circle, founded in 1905, did not (deliberately) acknowledged women by the end of 1991. This was annoyed by Ms Winstanley.
She met with Mrs. Lloyd, then in her 20s, when the two women were at Mime School. Mrs Lloyd often joined Ms. Winstanley in her magical performances as “Claude”, her assistant and “Timmy”, her young son.
After a while, Ms Winstanley suggested a more ambitious role: what about an older boy, who could hear about the circle? He promised to teach Ms. Lloyd all the magic he would need.
For over 18 months, Mrs Winstanley ordered her to hit and helped her develop “boy”. They gathered a convincing costume. And they built a fairly reliable person to get the attention of the circle.
“Jenny was so patient,” Lloyd said in an interview now in the 1960s. “It was a great routine.”
During the hearing, “Raymond Lloyd” cut and restored a £ 5 note. He was holding a fire in his hands. Everyone while wearing gloves, Ms. Lloyd said, “You can’t really show feminine hands.”
The second (secret) test came when she and Ms. Winstanley had a drink with an examiner. Again, Mrs Lloyd said, her boyfriend saved her day: “Say you have laryngitis”, “she remembered, laughing.
It worked. Raymond Lloyd received full membership.
“It was the best trick ever,” said Andrew Eborn, a long -term member who remembered the days when the club did not want to admit women because of the belief that “they could not keep secret”.
Seven months later, the team finally decided to admit the women and Ms Lloyd and Ms. Winstanley revealed their burst.
But instead of celebrating the trick, a circle leader ruled, according to copies of the documents that the team shared with the New York Times, that Raymond’s implementation was “invalid”, citing “deliberate deception”.
“Jenny was very, very bad,” Ms Lloyd said, adding, “we couldn’t get our heads around it.”
On Thursday, the women at the event stated that the night was a sign of how far they had come, and how hard they had to fight to get there. Women are still fighting for recognition in professional magic. In the circle, they account for about 5 % of today’s 1,700 members.
“It wasn’t just a celebration – it was a recognition,” said Goldie Puricelli, a member who took magic in the 1950s.
Fay Presto, 76, worked the story in its performance on Thursday. As he cut a string on tiny pieces, he talked about the club’s past.
Now, Ms Presto said, the team was a little more. In her hands, the tiny pieces of the string were unfolded in one, uncut line. “Every day,” he said, “this club gets it right.”
In November, the circle went to the press to try to find Mrs. Lloyd. And Ms Lloyd, who is now living in Spain, heard that they were looking for her.
At first, he hesitated. The old wounds still hurt: “I was not interested, to be honest with you.”
He then heard from Laura London, the first woman to serve as a chair. In January, they had lunch. “A meeting that had to take two hours continued for seven hours,” Ms Lloyd said.
For Mrs London, it was what is called a “dream come true”. He had long wanted to apologize on behalf of the cycle – and meet a trailblazer.
Mrs Lloyd finally decided to come back. “It was for Jenny,” she said. “I see it as Jenny and I’m a member.”
After the show, Ms. Winstanley received a post -mortem prize. Charlotte Allen, 27, her granddaughter accepted her on her behalf.
“She really wanted to be a member, but she couldn’t be,” Ms Allen said in an interview, we remember how her grandmother would play at her birthday party.
“It is really inspired to see my grandmother recognized, and Sophie, when she was so mistreating,” he added. “Means a lot.”
