She posed as a teenage boy to get into the magic circle — thirty years later, they finally let her in

For most of modern history, many roles across fields such as politics, science, and the arts were often gatekept by men. These positions were often not just occupied by men but designed in ways that excluded others by default. Women who wanted in often had to find their own way around the rules. Sophie Lloyd chose that route in 1991 when she entered the Magic Circle, one of the most prestigious magic societies in the world, using a fictional identity. She posed as a teenage boy, passed the required exam, and received her membership.

At that time, the Magic Circle had a strict men-only policy, as per a rule that had been in place since the society was founded in 1905, reported Sky News. According to the official explanation, women were excluded because it was believed they could not keep secrets. Even today, women make up only about five percent of the Magic Circle’s membership. And this isn't just the case for one field. As per recent data shared by The Times, men still dominate most fields, including 83% in construction jobs, 74% in manufacturing roles, and 65% in IT and comms jobs.

Although the group was preparing to vote on admitting women later that year, membership was still limited to men when Sophie made her attempt. However, the idea was not hers alone; it came from Jenny Winstanley, a well-known magician who had long wanted to join the Circle herself but knew the odds were stacked against her. Jenny believed the best chance of success would come from a younger performer posing as a boy. She met Sophie through an acting class and proposed the idea of working together to create a convincing character. Sophie had some experience playing boys on stage, but the transformation into "Raymond Lloyd" took months of preparation.

They had a wig made, and Sophie wore facial plumpers attached to a brace to reshape her jawline. Additionally, she performed all of her magic in gloves to hide her hands. "Doing sleight of hand in gloves was so hard," she told Sky News. The audition lasted 20 minutes, and Sophie stayed in character the entire time. After she passed, she and Jenny, who played the part of Raymond’s manager, were invited out for a drink with her examiner. Sophie avoided speaking by pretending to have laryngitis. "I sat there for one hour and three-quarters and had to say, 'Sorry, I’ve got a bad voice,'" she said. Later that year, as rumors spread that the Magic Circle was preparing to vote on admitting women, Sophie and Jenny decided to reveal the truth.

They hoped the society might respond with openness; instead, they were sent a letter stating that the membership had been revoked. Sophie said, "Jenny was hurt. She was snubbed by people she actually knew. So that was hurtful." Jenny passed away a few years ago without ever witnessing the Circle reverse its decision. At the time of the hoax, Sophie was not a magician and had never performed magic before meeting Jenny. She only took on the challenge to help prove a point that skill had nothing to do with gender, and that women deserved to be in the room. More than three decades later, the Magic Circle tracked her down, apologized, and offered to reinstate her — this time, under her real name. "They’ve made good of something that was wrong. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?" said Sophie.