Written by Helen Moulder and Sue Rider and directed by Rider, Moulder plays Claudia, who lives in rural Canterbury and is looking for more excitement in her life.
When an eccentric Irish film-maker arrives in New Zealand to make a film of Charles Dickens' Great Expectations, Claudia is keen to audition. But as she prepares for the role of Miss Havisham, Claudia's own life takes on the twists and turns of a Dickens novel.
Playing Miss Havisham features music recorded by Richard Mapp - Bach, Chopin, Schubert, Granados, Debussy and two pieces written especially for the show by Gareth Farr.
An actor and singer for 40 years, Moulder has worked in the theatre, radio, television and film, including singing with the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company while in the United Kingdom in the 1970s and in musicals and pantomime.
She has worked as an actor and singer ever since she returned to New Zealand in 1976, performing not only in theatres, but also in farm sheds, a tent in Hagley Park and a 17th-century brick cellar in Paris.
''Touring - I love it,'' Moulder said.
''Love being in rural New Zealand where I grew up, enjoy meeting the audiences afterwards over a cup of tea.
''Last year was Dickens' 200th birthday, but I toured Australia more than New Zealand, so this is a belated birthday tour.
''I'm going to all the places I haven't been before and am really looking forward to it.''
• Arts on Tour NZ presents Playing Miss Havisham in the Arrowtown Athenaeum Hall on Saturday, August 24, at 7.30pm.
Tickets cost $20. Bookings available from the Lakes District Museum.
