Now you don’t see us, now you do

PresenceIng the Invisibled:
The Transformational Practice of Extant

Welcome to an archival adventure… In theatre

To support the Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy by public works

By Maria Oshodi

Middlesex University

(This is a private beta webpage to allow for the working of hyperlink samples given as examples in written materials submitted for the literary review March 2024)

What is Extant

(credit – Editor Terry Braun)

Extant origins

Credit – Camera Rayna Hague – Editor Neil Payne

A production poster of ‘Sheer’ on a dark burgundy background. In the top left corner, white text reads ‘Extant Presents’ followed by a bold white title, ‘Sheer’. Below the title, in white ‘The Doctor Will See You Now!’ next to a woman with short red hair, standing and turning back to look over her shoulder, while wearing a yellow dress, holding a long silver chain, with the palm of her hand facing outwards across a beam of light. Below the woman, the yellow text reads ‘Spring Tour’ and below this, white bold text reads ‘7 March – 4 April’ and in yellow text below ‘2012’ and the Extant logo.
Sheer  publicity image 2012 Credit: Nic Macky – Top rite Design
A slim Caucasian woman with long brown hair is draped in a piece of large deep orange cloth and stands in front of an improvised screen covered in fabric.
Amelia Cavallo and the scarf burlesque act 2009
A slim Caucasian woman with long brown hair sits upright on a chair facing out with her hands over her eyes and covered by a length of deep orange cloth that covers her body and head.
Amelia Cavallo and the scarf burlesque act 2009
A slim Caucasian woman with long brown hair in white underwear holds a hand mirror up and out to the front row of an audience seated in front of her.
Amelia Cavallo and the scarf burlesque act 2009
A Caucasian woman stands in front of a red curtain, next to a red stool, with bandages on her arms and legs, and has a fabric vagina pinned to the open skirt of her dress. She also has large fake breasts and exaggerated make-up on a mask that she wears.
Sheer 2012 – Heather Gilmore as Bifuckular – Photography Terry Braun
A Caucasian man is standing inside a suspended cabinet box jacket, which is fastened around his body. His head pops through a hole at the top, as do his arms through holes at the side, and he is holding a thick metal chain which is wrapped around the box.
Sheer 2012 – Tim Gebbles as Cataracto. Photography Terry Braun
A Caucasian woman is ‘flying’ in mid-air, suspended by her waist. She wears a nude bodysuit and a white pointed bra. She is also wearing an embellished necklace and a half-face mask. Her legs are together and pointed and her arms are flung wide. She is smiling. Beneath her hangs a large glittering fairy tale style mirror.
Sheer 2012 – Amelia Cavallo as Mis-Stagmus. Photography Terry Braun
A figure stands in black light with glowing white aspects of costume picking out their fencing pose – side on to the camera, legs wide apart, knees bent, right arm on right hip and left arm above their head pointing forwards holding a glowing white cane thrust forward like a rapier.
Sarah Caltieri as Squint. Photography Terry Braun

Sheer promotional trailer – 2012 Editor Terry Braun