The Elixir of Love
Donizetti
Opera Queensland
Lyric Theatre, South Bank


Review by Gary Thorpe

This was an absolute delight from start to finish.

The cast, the set, the music were all terrific.

The action had been transposed to outback Australia during World War I and it worked beautifully. From the moment the curtain rose we were transported into a world of colourful characters enveloped by a brilliant set design by Michael Scott–Mitchell that added its own clever touches of humour to the action of the opera.

The lead roles were very well cast – Natalie Jones was terrific in the role of Adina, the wealthy farmer; Virgilio Marino was a suitably hapless shepherd; Jose Carbo had a ball as Belcore, an army officer and Andrew Collis brought his considerable comic talents to the character of Doctor Dulcamara, the purveyor of the magic elixir. Emily Burke had fun with her role as Giannetta.

The chorus played an important role in this production and performed very well – the ladies were especially funny in the scene set in the chook pen. A special mention for the surtitles – the use of Australian slang added extra humour to an already very clever production. The laughter, applause and cheers from the audience showed that they loved this production of The Elixir of Love.

Gary Thorpe OAM
General Manager
4MBS Classic FM