The Elixir of Love

The Elixir of Love description

Staged in an innovative WW2 setting, with the war at its height, this brilliant new production of Donizetti’s romantic comedy or ‘opera buffa’ is designed to delight. It might date back to 1832, almost two centuries old, but the story is as fresh as ever.

This time around the classic Elixir of Love has been recreated as an episode in a TV sitcom. It’s a deliciously warm and affectionate story of unrequited love revealing what happens when a man selling love potions arrives at a posh country estate staffed by locals and Land Girls.

A classic story given a fresh WW2 TV sitcom setting

Lady of the manor Adina fancies Nemorino, but she’s been keeping her feelings to herself. He is far too shy to approach her. He believes the love potion – which is actually just regular red wine – will solve his shyness, and it certainly seems to be working. He has suddenly become very popular with everyone else thanks to playing so cool. But can he charm Adina away from the silver-tongued Belcore?

A star-studded cast

The brilliant soprano and former Harewood artist Rhian Lois sings Adina, praised by Opera Today for her 'flawlessly produced soprano’ and ‘highly musical singing'. The conductor is the Austrian-Spanish genius Teresa Riveiro Böhm, who is also new to the ENO. Already a potent force in the classical music and opera world, she won the coveted Neeme-Järvi-Prize at 2019’s Gstaad Menuhin Festival.

Director Harry Fehr makes his English National Opera début. His recent productions include Semele with Blackheath Halls Opera, La sonnambula at Buxton Festival, Sir John in Love with the British Youth Opera and a double bill of Debussy’s L’enfant prodigue and Philip Hagemann’s Poison, Passion & Petrifaction with the Pegasus Opera Company.

Thomas Atkins sings Nemorino and Ava Dodd sings Adina on 5th December. Dan D’Souza sings Belcore and Brandon Cedel is Dulcamara. Segomotso Shupinyaneng sings Gianetta. Nicky Shaw is the Set Designer, Zahra Mansouri the Costume Designer, Mark Jonathan the Lighting Designer and Amanda Holden is the translator.

Playing at London Coliseum (venue info)