The British magic circle welcomes the woman who denies as a man

The magicians never reveal their secrets. But sometimes, they admit that they were wrong.

On Thursday night in London, members of the Better British Sahar Association met The right of a three -year -old error: Refuse what they consider now is one of the greatest deception of the deception of its members at all.

“It was a great trick – she deceived a room full of magicians,” said Madi Spencer, 48, who is in the group, known as the magician room. The magic circle.

In March 1991, when the club was limited to men, a woman named Sophie Lloyd was using herself as a man and got full membership. (A pseudonym for her: “Raymond Lloyd.”) But when she and her partner revealed their space later that year – at the same time that the circle began to accept women – the community overthrew it immediately.

For years, Raymond was like a ghost floating through the circle; Common or half -formation memory. Then, in November last year, the department announced a general search for Mrs. Lloyd. They wanted to apologize and welcome her back.

On Thursday night, they took a step towards correcting the error.

Being magicians, any old “sorry” will not. They needed a performance worth such a bold deception.

Therefore, about 100 members and guests called for a show, and the surprise was revealed on Thursday morning when Mrs. Lloyd news returned to appearing through the British press.

Evening performance began with video montage, with archival photos of Lloyd in the role of Raymond and Jenny Winstanley, her friend and teacher and partner.

Then – four works, fake rabbits and endless floors of cards later – real magic began. Marvin Perglas, head of the department, apologized to Lloyd and presented her with a membership certificate. This time, I read “Sufi Lloyd”.

He said: “Tonight, we do what we should have done for a long time,” adding, “on behalf of the magic circle, in the past and the present, we apologize.”

Mrs. Lloyd talked about Mrs. Winstanley, who died in 2004.

“Jenny taught me with the patience of all the magic that I needed to know so that I could pass my exam.”

The circle, which was founded in 1905, did not recognize (intentionally) any woman until late 1991. The Lady Winstanley has long been bothered.

She met Lloyd, then in her twenties, when the two women were at Mime School. Mrs. Lloyd often joined Mrs. Winstanley in her magic shows called “Claude”, her assistant, and “Timmy”, her little son.

After a while, Ms. Winstanley suggested a more ambitious role: What about an older boy, who can test the circle? She pledged to teach Mrs. Lloyd all the magic she would need.

For 18 months, Mrs. Winstanley has issued instructions to her lightly from the hand and helped her to develop “vocal behaviors”. They collected a convincing costume. They built a reliable personality enough to attract the attention of the circle.

“She was very patient,” said Ms. Lloyd, who was now in the 1960s, in an interview. “It was a great routine.”

During the test, Raymond Lloyd cut and recovered 5 pounds. Carry the fire in his hands. All this while wearing gloves, Mrs. Lloyd said: “You can not really show female hands.”

The second (secret) test came when she and Mrs. Winstanley had a drink with a examination. Once again, Mrs. Lloyd said, her friend saved today: “Say that you have laryngitis,” I remembered, laughing.

I worked. Raymond Lloyd got full membership.

“It was the best trick ever,” said Andrew Ern, a long -term member who remembers the days that the club did not want to admit women because of the belief that they were “unable to maintain the secrets.

Seven months later, the group finally decided to accept women, and Mrs. Lloyd and Mrs. Winstanley revealed a trick.

But instead of celebrating the trick, the leader of the department, according to the texts of the documents that the group shared with the New York Times, ruled that the Raymond application was “null and void”, noting “deliberate deception.”

“Jenny was very painful,” said Ms. Lloyd, adding, “We could not get our heads around.”

On Thursday, women said at this event that the evening was a sign of their arrival, but also how difficult it is to get there. Women are still Fighting for confession In professional magic. In the circle, they represent about 5 percent of the current members of 1700 members.

“It was not just a celebration – it was a confession,” said Goldi Borissili, a member of magic in the 1950s.

Fay Presso, 76, worked the story in her performance on Thursday. While cutting a chain into small pieces, she talked about the club’s past.

Now, Mrs. Presto said, the group was a little more. In her hands, the small pieces of the thread were abandoned in one unfamiliar line. She said: “From time to time,” this club gets it correctly. “

In November, the circle went to the press to try to find Lloyd. Mrs. Lloyd, who is now living in Spain, heard that they were looking for it.

Initially, I hesitated. The old wounds are still painful: “I was not interested, to be honest with you.”

Then I heard from Laura London, the first woman to work as a president. In January, they had lunch. “The meeting that should have continued for two hours for seven hours,” said Lloyd.

For Mrs. London, this was what he called “a dream of verification”. She has long wanted to apologize on behalf of the department – and meets on Trailblazer.

Mrs. Lloyd finally decided to join. “It was Jenny, she said. “I look at her as Jenny and I am a member.”

After the show, Mrs. Winstanley won a prize after his death. Charlotte Allen, 27, accepted her granddaughter, on her behalf.

“She really wanted to be a member, but it could not be,” Ms. Allen said in an interview.

She added: “It is really inspiring to see my grandmother recognized, and Sufi, when they were subjected to ill -treatment.” “This means a lot.”