Sophie Lloyd, a trailblazing magician who once fooled the Magic Circle by posing as a man, is finally being granted official membership — 34 years after she was expelled for her audacious ruse.
Back in 1991, Lloyd infiltrated the elite magic society under the alias “Raymond Lloyd,” disguising herself with a wig, body suit, and gravelly voice.
At the time, the Magic Circle — then an all-male institution — did not admit female magicians.
With the help of her friend and fellow magician Jenny Winstanley, Lloyd spent two years perfecting her male persona, learning magic, and preparing for the Circle’s rigorous entrance test.
Rather than risk exposure at the Circle’s headquarters, Lloyd staged her assessment performance at a working men’s club in front of 200 people, citing “laryngitis” to cover her altered voice.
The act was so convincing that she was granted membership — and even shared drinks with one of the examiners afterward.
However, when the Magic Circle later decided to accept women officially, Lloyd and Winstanley revealed the truth.
Rather than being embraced, Lloyd was promptly expelled at the same meeting where the first women were admitted.
“I couldn’t get my head around it,” Lloyd told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. “I just didn’t think that would be their reaction after all that effort and honesty.”
For a decade, Lloyd continued performing magic, including anti-bullying shows, before moving to Spain for early retirement and dedicating herself to animal rescue.
Tragically, her co-conspirator and close friend Winstanley died in a car crash in 2004.
Decades later, the Magic Circle launched a search for Lloyd in an effort to right the past.
Laura London, the society’s first female chair, spearheaded the effort, calling Lloyd “a role model for women magicians.”
With women still making up only 5% of the Circle’s 1,700 members, Lloyd’s story resonates as both a symbol of change and a reminder of how far the magic world still has to go.
Initially hesitant, Lloyd agreed to accept the membership posthumously for Winstanley’s sake. “This is for Jenny, really,” she said. “I just think Jenny would have loved it.”
Lloyd will officially receive her long-overdue membership certificate at a celebratory event at the Magic Circle’s London headquarters.
The evening will also honor Winstanley’s legacy, featuring performances from five magicians and a public tribute to the duo’s remarkable journey.
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