Servais Le Roy

Who was Servais Le Roy?

Servais Le Roy was a Belgian magician, illusion designer and businessman. He is known for the act Le Roy, Talma and Bosco and as the inventor of the classic levitation illusion Asrah the Floating Princess.

Le Roy began his career in Belgium but later moved to London, where he established a supply house for illusions and scenery. At one time he performed with German-born illusionist Imro Fox and Frederick Eugene Powell as The Triple Alliance. However he is best known as a performer for the long-running act he developed with his wife Talma and Leon Bosco. Working as "Le Roy - Talma - Bosco" they were sometimes also billed as The Comedians de Mephisto Co. Talma, specialised in sleight of hand and was known as a brilliant manipulator of coins. Bosco, who was a rotund man, played a buffoon character. Although the act was very much a partnership to which all three contributed as magicians, Servais Le Roy sometimes received additional headline billing. According to Wm Rauscher's biography, Monarch of Mystery, Bosco was played by no less than nine different performers over the years.