Daffodils at the Traverse follows writer Rochelle Bright’s parents as they meet at the same spot as her grandparents: a bed of daffodils by a lake in Hamilton, New Zealand……Eric (Todd Emerson) travels the world for girl next door, Rose, (Colleen Davis).
To an accompaniment of mood pop classics – sixties bubblegum through to slide guitar punk rock – the narrative tracks their falling in love, their marriage and its fallout; spun on a moment of monumental misconception which is a kick to the gut. Bright doesn’t follow in her parents and grandparents’ footsteps to either continue or end the story.
Yet Eric’s actions or Rose’s suspicions are shared with an audience who see it all. Engaging performances throughout by the versatile Davis and Emerson, with a three-piece band giving us bosa-nova and bottle-neck riffs, make for a bittersweet jewel with ingenious use of two carpet runners.