Fay Presto (born 17 May 1948[1]) is the stage name of Letitia Winter,[2] a British magician and member of The Inner Magic Circle known for her close-up magic.
Career
editWinter's first job was as a lab assistant at an atomic energy research company, and she tried returning to study and working in sales before developing an interest in performing magic in her late thirties.[3] She joined The Magic Circle, but was asked to leave when she began to transition.[4] When The Magic Circle voted to allow women members in 1991, she was one of the first women to join.[5]
As Presto, Winter specialises in close-up magic, and had held a residency at London's Langan's Brasserie since the start of her magic career.[6] She is known for her "bottle through the table" trick, which was ranked as the 37th greatest magic trick of all time by Channel 4's 50 Greatest Magic Tricks.[citation needed]
Presto was part of the UK touring show Champions of Magic from 2014 to 2017, alongside fellow magicians Edward Hilsum, Alex McLear and Young & Strange.[7]
She was profiled in the BBC documentary series 40 Minutes in 1994 in the episode "Fay Presto: Illusions of Grandeur" directed by Sally George. In 2017, Presto was the subject of the documentary Fay Presto, the Queen of Close-up.[8]
Television appearances
editWinter has appeared in a number of documentaries and played herself in cameo roles.[9]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Fay Presto: Illusions of Grandeur | Herself | |
| 1995 | The Car's The Star | Herself | Guest |
| 1995 | Paul Daniels' Secrets | Herself | |
| 1995 | The Late Late Show | Herself | Guest |
| 2000 | Heroes of Magic | Herself | |
| 2001 | Emmerdale | Herself | Cameo |
| 2002 | The Daily Show | Herself | Guest |
| 2002 | 50 Greatest Magic Tricks | Herself | |
| 2006 | The Story of Light Entertainment | Herself | |
| 2016 | When Magic Goes Horribly Wrong | Herself | |
| 2017 | Fay Presto, Queen of Close-up | Herself |
Awards and accolades
editIn 1998 Winter was voted "Party Entertainer of the Year" by Tatler Magazine.[10]
In 2012 Winter won the title of The Magic Circle Close-up Magician of the Year 2012.[11]
Personal life and charity work
editWinter is a transgender woman, and regularly organises and performs in benefits to support the rights of women, children and the LGBT community. Before her transition, she performed in character as a female magician. She is an ambassador for Action for Children.[12]
References
edit- ^ All About Magicians: Fay Presto[usurped] last accessed: 24 June 2011
- ^ George Sally (dir). Illusions of Grandeur. BBC TV 40 mins 1994
- ^ "Fay Presto - Celebrity Close-up & Cabaret Magician". faypresto.com. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ Fitzsimons, Carmel (23 August 2014). "From the Observer archive, 24 August 1986: Fay Presto squares up to the Magic Circle". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ Stanbridge, Nicola (7 October 2016). "Is magic's glass ceiling vanishing?". Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "Fay Presto - Celebrity Close-up & Cabaret Magician". faypresto.com. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ BWW News Desk. "Champions of Magic to Tour for a 4th Year in 2017". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "Fay Presto - Queen of Close-up". FilmFreeway. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "Fay Presto". IMDb. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "Fay Presto - Celebrity Close-up & Cabaret Magician". faypresto.com. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "The slick new face of Magic - The Independent 7-4-2013". themagiccircle.co.uk. Archived from the original on 9 April 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- ^ "Fundraising News: Why I Give – Fay Prestro, the magician". www.thirdsector.co.uk. 10 September 2003. Retrieved 11 March 2019.