Nelson diva rides again

Nelson actress Helen Moulder first set foot on the Theatre Royal stage in the mid-1960s as a schoolgirl. She has been a patron of the theatre for 17 years and next month she will be back there performing her solo show Cynthia & Gertie Ride Again! Kate Russell catches up with Helen about the show, her early life in theatre, and her fondest memories of the Theatre Royal.

What was your upbringing in Nelson like and how did you first get into theatre?
I was born in Brightwater in 1947 and went to Nelson College for Girls. My mother was a lovely singer and my father was a very funny man, so my sense of comedy was instilled in me early. I joined the drama club at NCG and won a few prizes there for acting, so I felt encouraged to continue. In my 20s I joined amateur drama and light opera clubs in Melbourne.

What was your first show at the Theatre Royal?
I was in the chorus of The Desert Song with the Nelson Operatic in the mid-1960s. I was still at school, but our wonderful music master, Keith Woods, asked a couple of us girls to join the company. I absolutely loved the experience, the music, the dancing, the costumes, but especially the camaraderie of the cast, which I’ve come to realise is one of the special things about the theatre. The cast becomes your family during the season and one always feels a close connection to people with whom one has worked.

When did you move overseas and what did you do over there?
I moved to Melbourne in 1970 to study singing at the Melba Conservatorium and opera at the National Theatre Opera School and then in 1973 moved to the UK, where I worked in light opera, pantomime and musicals, including spending a year with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company.

When did you move back to NZ?
I came back to NZ at the end of 1976 and began getting work in Wellington in theatre (at Downstage, Circa) radio drama, television and film, so realised I could make a living from the acting and singing profession. I have been doing it ever since, especially creating my one and two-person shows, all of which have been seen in Nelson - the most recent being The Bicycle & the Butcher’s Daughter, which I played at the Shopfront Theatre in Collingwood St.

What can people expect from Cynthia & Gertie Ride Again!
Cynthia & Gertie Ride Again! stars my fading opera singer/clown, Miss Cynthia Fortitude (I have now had five shows starring Cynthia). In this performance, Cynthia has arrived to give a musical lecture for the inaugural meeting of the Nelson Tasman Opera Guild. People can expect a fun evening, with a lot of laughter and music.

What is your fondest memory of the Theatre Royal?
I loved singing there in the competitions in the 60s, and my last performance of a play was with the ballet dancer Sir Jon Trimmer in our play Meeting Karpovsky, in 2004. But the Gala Variety Concert, which was part of the opening celebrations of the refurbished Theatre Royal in 2010, was definitely a highlight. I performed as Cynthia with my accompanist Gertrude Rallentando (Rose Beauchamp) and also with Dame Kate Harcourt, the other patron. It was a fantastic night.

Cynthia & Gertie Ride Again! Is on at the Theatre Royal on Saturday 9 November at 7pm and Sunday 10 November at 2pm. Tickets are available from www.theatreroyalnelson.co.nz