A magician who disguised herself as a man to trick her way into the Magic Circle is finally being given membership more than three decades after she was kicked out.
Sophie Lloyd, pretending to be ‘Raymond Lloyd’, was allowed to join the elite society in 1991 when women were not permitted – but later that year, women started to be granted membership and she revealed her disguise, only to then be expelled.
After a public search was launched last year, Ms Lloyd has now been found, 34 years later – and has finally received an apology from the Circle, with a membership certificate set to be given to her at an event at their headquarters on Thursday evening.
The magician told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme earlier in the day that she is “beyond thrilled”.
Speaking of how she managed such a feat, Ms Lloyd credited her friend, the magician Jenny Winstanley, whom she met in the late 1980s when studying at a London school of mime, sometimes working as her assistant at gigs.
Ms Lloyd said: “Jenny was increasingly frustrated that women, including herself, could not join the Magic Circle. So she came up with an idea to infiltrate the society by having me dress as a man. She couldn’t do it herself as she was too recognisable.”
Ms Lloyd created the identity ‘Raymond Lloyd’ – using gloves, a wig, body suit and a “croaky” voice – and studied the character for two years. She also had to learn how to perform magic on her own. She told Canadian broadcaster CBC at the time that Raymond was a “young-looking 18-year-old”, primarily because of her height of 5ft 2in (1.57m), who had some facial “fluff”.
The magician told the BBC her character was “totally believed” – and in March 1991 she made it into the Circle following a successful performance at a working men’s club, which even involved a drink with one of the examiners.
However after months of magic shows and socialising with other members, when Ms Lloyd and Ms Winstanley revealed their deception to the Circle over the phone, it was not well received.
At the first meeting where women were granted membership to the society in October 1991, Ms Lloyd was expelled. “We couldn’t get our heads round it,” she said.
A decade of performing around the UK as a magician followed, then Ms Lloyd took early retirement in Spain and has been working in animal rescue. Ms Winstanley ended up running a pottery company in Norfolk, and died in a car accident in 2004.
Ms Lloyd found out about the search for her via her sister and decided to join the society in honour of her friend, who will also be recognised at the event on Thursday evening. She said: “This is for Jenny, really. I just think Jenny would have loved it.”
Laura London – the first female chair of the circle, which is still overwhelmingly dominated by men, with 5 per cent of the 1,700 members being women – told the BBC: “I felt it important that the Magic Circle should be able to recognise Sophie as the role model for women magicians, as well as show that we are now a completely open society.”
The Magic Circle was founded in 1905 by around 20 magicians at a restaurant in Chinatown, London, and is now based in Euston, London.
In September 1991, the group voted 469 for and 129 against admitting women members.
The Magic Circle is known for its strict rules, which include the vow every member takes not to give away the secrets of magic.
Famous members have included the King, MPs, Sir Stephen Fry, David Copperfield, Dynamo, Debbie McGee and the puppet Sooty.
The Independent has approached the Magic Circle for further comment.
