In a darkened room in Auckland’s Grey Lynn, surrounded by lights and cameramen, Angela Bloomfield frowns as she concentrates intently on a flickering screen.
It’s a world away from playing Shortland Street’s best-loved CEO Rachel McKenna and yet the way she issues firm, clipped orders to her team is not a million miles away from her iconic bossy-boots alter ego.
Today, however, the actress and director has swapped fictional Ferndale for a stark reality – directing an advert for the domestic-abuse charity Shine, which is currently on our screens to raise awareness of what is a huge problem in New Zealand and around the world.
As a director, she’s relishing the chance to cut her charity chops on such a project. “A director friend suggested me and I said yes straight away,” tells Angela, 44. “I need the experience of working on a campaign like this because I’ve only ever been involved in directing drama.”
The commercial – which features well-known faces such as her Shorty co-star Peter Elliott and funnyman Guy Williams, as well as a few Warriors league stars – is the mum-of-two’s first gig since sensationally quitting her role as Rachel after an impressive 24-year stint on the show.
“Everyone’s giving their time and energy for free,” Angela marvels. “I know how difficult that can be when you’re so busy.”
The experience of working for Shine, she says, has been a refreshing change and an overwhelmingly positive project – but it’s sobering too.
“Probably the most shocking fact I’ve learned in my research is that one child dies every 39 days as the result of domestic abuse,” she tells. “Even though we assume we would know if someone in our circles was experiencing domestic violence, that’s not always the case.
“We all have a really strong reaction to it, but we don’t always know how to help.
And there is a lot of shame in thinking, ‘I am an intelligent, educated person who works hard and does the right thing – why is this happening to me?’
“It’s such an important issue, but as a nation, we’re not good at talking about the things we do badly. It’s much easier to talk about the stuff we do well.”
While taking time out after her departure from the Kiwi soap, Angela has relished spending time with her two children – “extreme extrovert” son Max, 12, who is a budding film director, and her “extreme introvert” daughter Maya, 10, an arty National Youth Theatre member and avid fan of reality show Dance Moms.
Angela’s experiences of motherhood – in particular her experience of postnatal depression – has been crucial to her work with Shine. She says, “I remember reading that depression happens to people who are used to being good at things and having stuff a certain way. I went, ‘Oh, that makes sense. I’m trying to control it too much. I’m trying to be good at being a mother and getting everything right.’
“Once I said I’d had postnatal depression, everyone said, ‘Me too!’ It was every walk of life.There’s not one type of person that it’s happening to.”
Of children, Angela says, “They’re tricky little creatures! They don’t come with a handbook. It’s very easy to take your s*** out on them. It’s tough. We sit a licence and adhere to a lot of rules to drive a car, yet to bring up a child – which is so much more precious – we’re just allowed to do it. No-one says, ‘You’re not fit to do that,’ or, ‘Hey, shall we give you some help and guidance?’
“There are countries in Europe where as soon as your baby is born, you basically get a midwife in your home for eight days. It’s not just about what she teaches you in that moment – it’s about helping you connect with the child in a positive way and not being overwhelmed, which helps stop the cycle of abuse before it has started.
“I feel privileged and lucky to be working to help raise awareness on how we can do that in New Zealand, rather than mopping up the pieces once they have happened. I feel a huge responsibility to do Shine proud.”
Angela confesses she’s found it difficult moving on from Shortland Street. When she’s recognised in public, she admits she played sharp-tongued Rachel, then keeps walking.
But the ghost of her former character still lingers. At our photo shoot, when the stylist shows her a particular dress, she declares, “That’s completely Rachel McKenna – I wouldn’t wear it if you paid me a million dollars!”
– In NZ, one in three women experience physical and/or sexual abuse from a male partner or ex-partner
– One Kiwi child is killed every five weeks by a member of their own family
– One woman is killed by a family member every three and a half weeks
– The police attend a domestic-abuse call-out every five minutes
– Shine’s “Light it Orange” campaign runs from March 4-10. For more information or to donate money, visit lightitorange.org.nz
