Helen Moulder is an award-winning actor/singer, based in Nelson, who has been working in theatre, television and film for over 40 years in the UK, New Zealand and Australia. Major roles have been as Virginia Woolf in Vita and Virginia; Vivian Bearing in Wit; Miss Shepherd in Lady in the Van; Madame Giry in Ken Hill’s Phantom of the Opera (four tours to Japan); Sister Aloysius in Doubt; Lady Churchill in Meet the Churchills and roles in her own devised works – The Legend Returns, Meeting Karpovsky, Playing Miss Havisham, Gloria’s Handbag and Cynthia and Gertie Go Baroque. Helen’s film and television credits include Pictures, CountryGP, Erebus – the Aftermath, Abberation, The Dark Knight, Rest for the Wicked and Food for Thought. Helen has toured her solo and two person shows throughout New Zealand and Australia, including four tours with AOTNZ.
Willow Productions was formed in 2002 by Helen Moulder, Sue Rider and Sir Jon Trimmer specifically to create the chamber theatre/dance work, Meeting Karpovsky. Supported by Royal New Zealand Ballet, The Court Theatre, and Creative New Zealand (CNZ), Meeting Karpovsky played at The Court Theatre (2002) and Circa Theatre (2003) before touring nationally in 2004, supported once again by CNZ, The Arts Foundation, Nelson Pine, The Lion Foundation and several other sponsors.
Meeting Karpovsky has been revived several times over the years including an extensive tour of NZ in 2015 and a special season in Wellington in 2019 to celebrate Sir Jon Trimmers’s 80th birthday!
In 2005, Willow Productions created Playing Miss Havisham, a solo play for Helen, with the help of CNZ. The piece toured widely in NZ and Australia, as well as to London’s Charles Dickens Museum and several Dickens’ Societies in the UK and USA.
In 2007, supported by CNZ, Cynthia Fortitude’s Farewell – Her First was presented with Wellington Chamber Orchestra conducted by Michael Vinten, as well as with Hawkes Bay Orchestra and New Plymouth Orchestra.
In 2008, A Vote for Cynthia, another solo piece for Helen, toured widely in NZ, especially popular for its coinciding with the election.
In 2014 Willow Productions created a third solo piece for Helen, Gloria’s Handbag, which has toured widely around NZ and parts of Australia, including a tour with Arts On Tour NZ in 2017.
