Playing Miss Havisham
Complete with wedding dress and cobwebs!
A solo play for small spaces
With Helen Moulder as Claudia
Actress of the Year in 2000 and 2004 (Wellington Theatre Awards)
Directed by Sue Rider
With piano music recorded by Richard Mapp
Intimate comedy with music, song and an array of endearing characters
Claudia lives an hour and five out of Christchurch. Her husband is a farm accountant and her son Ben plays in a band. When an eccentric Irish film-maker comes to New Zealand to make a film of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, Claudia is keen to audition for the role of Miss Havisham as she sees it as a way out of her humdrum existence. As she prepares for the role, Claudia finds her own life takes on the twists and turns of a Dickens novel. A work of unexpected visual richness, Playing Miss Havisham unfolds with mystery, music and surprise.
Music by Bach, Chopin, Schubert, Granados, Debussy & Gareth Farr
The development and premiere of this play was supported by Creative New Zealand
SHORT REVIEWS
“Always a delight” - National Radio
“It is impossible not to warm to this play because Helen Moulder connects with her audience… with great charm and sincerity. Just as you don’t need to know in advance about Great Expectations to understand the play, you don’t need to be an experienced theatre-goer to engage with pleasure in her Playing Miss Havisham.”
“pianist Richard Mapp (plays) …. with great skill and sensitivity.”
– John Smythe’s Theatre Review Website
“comedy with a delightfully playful self-consciousness”
“succeeds in turning cheerfully over-wrought melodrama into raw, compelling theatre” – Richard Thomson, SCOOP
“Moulder is a consummate performer”
“visually dominated by Miss Havisham’s wedding dress, a gorgeous, eye-catching symbol of expectations”
“Moulder uses her considerable skills as actor, singer and comedian to their fullest advantage … in styles ranging from comic ham to moments of naturalistic Chekhovian empathy” – Dominion Post
“This is a wonderful piece of theatre by a consummate professional and should not be missed.”
“Her skill at the subtle interweaving of the stories ……. Is nothing short of magnificent.” – John Jefferies, Nelson Mail
More reviews on www.willowproductions.co.nz
LENGTH
One hour 35 minutes, no interval
HISTORY
Playing Miss Havisham was premiered in 2006 at Circa Theatre, Wellington and since then has toured extensively around New Zealand and to Australia with the Queensland Arts Council. In 2010 it is planned to showcase the play in the UK, France and the USA.
TOURING
Written by Helen Moulder and Sue Rider, Playing Miss Havisham has been designed to tour and play in small spaces – little theatres, community halls, meeting rooms, libraries, art galleries, living rooms and farm sheds. Lights and sound are carried and operated by Helen herself with a small dimmer board on stage and a remote control for the minidisk player.
POST-SHOW DISCUSSION
After the show, Helen holds a short audience forum to discuss the themes and the creation of the play. This can be held immediately it finishes or after a break for a light supper.
WILLOW PRODUCTIONS
Supported by Creative New Zealand, Willow Productions was formed in 2002 by Helen Moulder, Sue Rider and Sir Jon Trimmer for the creation of Meeting Karpovksy, which opened at the Court Theatre, Christchurch in November 2002. This was followed by a season at Circa in 2003 and a tour of New Zealand in 2004. Since then Willow Productions has produced Playing Miss Havisham (2006) Cynthia Fortitude’s Farewell – her first (2007) and A Vote for Cynthia –the musical (2008) all touring solo plays for Helen Moulder. They also tour The Legend Returns with Helen Moulder and Rose Beauchamp. More information about these shows can be found on the website: www.willowproductions.co.nz
BIOGRAPHIES
Helen Moulder – Performer
Helen has been working as a professional actor and singer for 35 years in theatre, television, radio and film. In the last ten years she has also been writing and performing her own work. She began her career in the UK with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company and since her return to NZ has performed at Circa, Downstage, Court, Fortune and Centrepoint theatres and in various tours throughout NZ, Australia and Japan. Her recent theatre roles have included Cynthia in The Legend Returns, (Circa and on tour) Madame Giry in Ken Hill’s Phantom of the Opera, (Tour of Japan) Mrs Venables in Suddenly Last Summer,(Court) Jean in Taking Off (South Island tour and Court), Jean in Mum’s Choir (Centrepoint) and Sister Aloysius in DOUBT. (Circa) For Vivienne Bearing in Wit (2000) and Sylvia in Meeting Karpovsky (2003) she was awarded Actress of the Year in the Wellington Theatre Awards. Helen’s film and television credits include Close to Home, Pictures, Country GP, Erebus – The Aftermath, The Wall, Abberation, The Dark Knight and Sweet As.
Sue Rider – Director/Dramaturg
Born and educated in the UK and now an Australian citizen, Sue is an award-winning director, writer, actor and dramaturg with a special interest in the creation and development of contemporary theatre. She has over a hundred productions to her credit in NZ, Australia, Vietnam and the UK covering mainstream theatre, opera, community theatre, theatre for young people and theatre in galleries. Sue was Artistic Director of Brisbane’s La Boite Theatre from 1993 to 2000 and is currently Adjunct Professor at Queensland University’s School of English, Media Studies and Art History.
Richard Mapp – Pianist
Richard is one of NZ’s leading pianists and is senior lecturer in piano at the New Zealand School of Music in Wellington. He worked in the UK for 15 years and since returning to NZ in 1991 he has performed as a concerto soloist with all of the major orchestras in this country, at the International Festival of the Arts, as a guest pianist with the New Zealand String Quartet and in tours for Chamber Music New Zealand. He has recorded a CD of works by Granados, as well as CDs with flautist Amanda Hollins, the New Zealand Piano Quartet and the NZSO.
Phillip Dexter – Lighting
Phillip’s NZ work includes productions for the Court Theatre, Downstage and Auckland Theatre Company. His UK work includes productions for the Donmar Warehouse, Shakespeare’s Globe, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Opera Conservatory Royal College of Music, the Hampstead Theatre and the Palm House at Kew Gardens.
Julie Lawrence – Costume
Julie is a graduate in Art and Design, majoring in Costume from the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology. She has worked in fashion design, window dressing, festival parades with masks, the Wearable Arts and in the wardrobe of the Royal NZ Ballet.
This post is tagged Playing Miss Haversham, Solo Play
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