Fay Presto (born 17 May 1948) last accessed: 24 June 2011 is the stage name of Letitia Winter,George Sally (dir). Illusions of Grandeur. BBC TV 40 mins 1994 a British magician and member of The Inner Magic Circle known for her close-up magic.
Career 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. She joined The Magic Circle, but was asked to leave when she began to transition. When The Magic Circle voted to allow women members in 1991, she was one of the first women to join.
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. 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.
Presto was part of the UK touring show Champions of Magic from 2014 to 2017, alongside fellow magicians Edward Hilsum, Alex McAleer and Young & Strange.
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.
Television appearances
Winter has appeared in a number of documentaries and played herself in cameo roles.
Year Title Role Notes1994Fay Presto: Illusions of GrandeurHerself1995The Car's The StarHerselfGuest1995Paul Daniels' SecretsHerself1995The Late Late ShowHerselfGuest2000Heroes of MagicHerself2001EmmerdaleHerselfCameo2002The Daily ShowHerselfGuest200250 Greatest Magic TricksHerself2006The Story of Light EntertainmentHerself2016When Magic Goes Horribly WrongHerself2017Fay Presto, Queen of Close-upHerself
Awards and accolades
In 1998 Winter was voted "Party Entertainer of the Year" by Tatler Magazine.
In 2012 Winter won the title of The Magic Circle Close-up Magician of the Year 2012.
In 2024 awarded the David Berglas Award for "Outstanding Contribution to Magic by a British magician" by The British Magical Society.British Magical Journal April 2024
Personal life and charity work
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.
References
External links Fay Presto official website The Magic Circle