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.
Winter'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]
Winter 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 | |
In 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]
In 2024 awarded the David Berglas Award for "Outstanding Contribution to Magic by a British magician" by The British Magical Society. [12]
Winter 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. [13]