Treat for opera fans as The Elixir of Love comes to town

Filled with love and laughter, the play tells the story of Nemorino, a peasant who is madly in love with the wealthy landowner Adina, but she has eyes only for the dashing Sergeant Belcore.

Dr Dulcamara, a quack doctor, sells Nemorino a love potion (which transpires to be cheap wine) that will cause Adina to fall in love with him within 24 hours.

When Adina announces that she is set to marry Belcore within a week, Nemorino is confident the elixir will work its magic in time and Adina would be his at long last.

But the path of true love never does run smoothly. Belcore is called away and the wedding is brought forward to that very afternoon.

Fantastic melodies

and witty plot

Desperate for money to buy more of the potion, Nemorino enlists in the army and takes the king’s shilling, unaware that his uncle has died, leaving him a fortune in his will.

The village girls are immediately attracted to Nemorino - though he believes it is the potion at work and not the fact that he is now very wealthy..

But all’s not lost as Nemorino spies a single tear in Adina’s eye – she has been touched by his utter devotion.

Adina buys Nemorino’s discharge from the army, rejects Belcore, and the couple are finally united - all thanks to some cheap wine and trickery!

The company’s music director Stuart Stratford and Scottish Opera’s Head of Music Derek Clark sharing conducting duties in a new arrangement for five players from The Orchestra of Scottish Opera, who accompany a cast of soloists and a small chorus.

Stuart said: “The Elixir of Love’ is full of fantastic melodies, a witty plot and it is shot through with a bolt of Italian sunshine which permeates all of the music.

“I can’t wait to visit the further reaches of our country to share this incredible piece with the people of Scotland.”

Director Oliver Platt added: “‘Elixir’ offers a joyous couple of hours of escape.

“It is the perfect opera: boisterous, fun-filled and fast-paced, with the ideal mixture of comedy and romance.”

‘Elixir of Love’ opens on Saturday, October 1 at 7.30pm.

To book tickets for the stornoway performance either visit website: www.scottishopera.org.uk or log on to the An Lanntair website at: www.lanntair.com