The Elixir of Love by Gaetano Donizetti, English National Opera, the Coliseum, London,

4☆☆☆☆. Review: Clare Colvin.

“Dad’s Army goes bel canto.”

Donizetti’s romantic comedy The Elixir of Love  (L’Elisir d’Amore) is set in a small rural community in northern Italy and works best when played in a more intimate space than the barn-like Coliseum, so inevitably director Harry Fehr, making his ENO directorial debut, has had his work cut out in dealing with the Coli’s stage.  Fehr has chosen to update the opera to more recent times - in this case the increasingly popular era of Britain in mid-second world war.  It may be something to do with the catchy slogans of the time, such as “Careless talk costs lives!”  The opera itself is framed as a TV sitcom episode, equivalent to Dad’s Army.

The first act opens in the basement of a country house belonging to local landowner Lady Adina. It’s been requisitioned by the Government as a central point of food supply for the Women’s Land Army.   Land girls in dungarees bustle about while a mournful Nemorino (New Zealand tenor Thomas Atkins, making his ENO debut) laments that his love has been scorned by Adina.  When the travelling quack doctor Dulcamara - American bass-baritone Brandon Cedel - arrives with suitcases full of  love potions Nemorino is a gullible victim for the salesman’s patter.  

Designer Nicky Shaw’s first act set is oddly located in a basement kitchen, but the second act airy drawing room is a definite improvement, providing smoother entrances and exits, and a lighter ambiance.   Rhian Lois is a lively and capricious Adina, first seen in hacking jacket and jodhpurs.  On a whim, annoyed with Nemorino’s persistence, she agrees to marry Dan D’Souza’s boastful airman Belcore but begins to feel a loss of control as news filters through of Nemorino’s change of fortune - the rejected worker is besieged by land girls as the news of his rich uncle’s demise filters through.

Austrian Spanish conductor Teresa Ribeiro Böhm, making her house debut, leads the ENO Orchestra stylishly through Donizetti’s bel canto score. Beautiful singing all round, brings a brilliant evening to lighten the darkness as we approach the shortest of days. In repertoire till 5 December.

Conductor: Teresa Riveiro Böhm;

Director: Harry Fehr; 

Set designer: Nicky Shaw;

Costume designer: Zahra Mansouri;

Lighting designer: Mark Jonathan;

Video designer; Matt Powell;

Movement director: Anjali Mehra;

Assistant conductor: Karen Ni Bhroin;

Production pictures: Marc Brenner