Rose finds Kiwi voice

At school, Rose McIver butchered one of Bic Runga’s songs, so she couldn’t turn down the chance to make amends, writes James Croot.

R‘I’ve done so many different, ‘fantastical’ projects as an actor, that it was nice to come back and strip all that away and do something that’s an exploration of home for a change.’ ROSE MCIVER

OSE McIver hopes starring in Daffodils will redeem one of the worst moments of her performing career. The New Zealand actress, known globally for playing a crime-solving zombie and a Netflix princess, returned home last year to play an ordinary Kiwi woman, in the cinematic version of the hit stage musical.

But bringing to life another Rose, one half of this bittersweet love story, also meant the Auckland-born 30-year-old had to master singing some of New Zealand’s most beloved pop songs.

As with the stage show, in writer Rochelle Bright’s tale – inspired by her parents’ relationship – the drama is matched to the lyrics from tunes such as The Muttonbirds’ Anchor Me, Crowded House’s Fall at Your Feet, and The Swingers’ Counting the Beat.

However, there was one classic track that brought back unhappy childhood memories for McIver.

‘‘Bic Runga’s Drive,’’ she tells me, the day after Daffodils’ world premiere in Wellington last month. ‘‘She was my queen when I was aged 11 and 12, but I remember performing a really terrible rendition of her Sway at the Glen Eden Intermediate School talent quest.

‘‘So to have the opportunity to make amends and try to do something a little bit more tasteful with one of her beautiful songs truly was an honour.’’

McIver grew up listening to the movie soundtrack’s songs on CDs and cassettes, and says she felt a huge responsibility to do the best she could.

With the help of music directors Stephanie Brown and Fen Ikner and director David Stubbs, she attempted to re-imagine the work of some of her favourite Kiwi musicians.

‘‘They all really helped me to think about ways to work with these songs that I had loved for so long.

‘‘I didn’t have to try to mimic anybody else’s performance, and we were able to think of ways to make the songs my own, because I don’t have Bic’s voice, I don’t have Don’s [McGlashan] voice.’’

Though the singing was something McIver was worried about (‘‘I have sung quite a bit over the years, but I’d never recorded’’), there were ‘‘so many daunting challenges in this film that any fears I had about it were rather overshadowed.

‘‘I was more concerned about playing somebody based on a real character, created by someone who was inspired by her real parents. I really wanted to do them justice – that was the real intimidation factor. It’s funny how everything else paled in comparison.’’

McIver says the woman her character is based on, Bright’s mother, was ‘‘very kind about sending me material and photographs. My job was done for me, really.’’ And, like the rest of Daffodils’ cast and crew, she’s at pains to point out that this isn’t a traditional movie musical.

‘‘We’re trying to do a film which is a dramatic – hopefully at some point funny – telling of a relationship, which just happens to be threaded through with these iconic songs. The characters are singing the things we feel, but aren’t able to say.’’

McIver admits that meant this was not an easy job to let go of.

‘‘We had some pretty full-on scenes. It took me a few weeks to decompress, but I felt spoiled to be able to come home and be a part of something I cared so much about.

‘‘Hopefully audiences will take away some sort thoughts about how to talk to the people they love.

‘‘Somebody recently said to me that ‘expression’ is the opposite of ‘depression’, and that really stood out for me: the idea that without an outlet of energy and emotions, it really does limit your ability to feel, and it numbs you a little bit.