A modernized rom-com-pera by Baseless Fabric Theatre, Elixir of Love (Reimagined), gives audiences a swift and energizing performance, though occasionally camp in its updated contemporary references.
Boy likes girl, girl doesn’t feel the same way, boy buys fake love-inducing elixir to seduce girl, girl gets jealous of boy’s newfound attention after her situationship posts a viral Tiktok of him singing about buses, girl falls in love with boy, and they all live happily ever after. That old chestnut, right?
Well, that’s certainly the territory with Baseless Fabric Theatre’s reimagining of the 1832 opera, ‘L’elixir d’amore’ or ‘The Elixir of Love.’ With an updated Libretto by director Joanna Turner and reorchestrated by musical director Leo Geyer, this 2025 rom-com-pera compacts the story of Nemorino’s (Jonathan Cooke) unrequited love for Adina (Abigail Kelly) into a tight 55 minute tale of Tiktoks and viral ‘Love Effects’ sprays. The second of eight operas in the Arcola Theatre’s 17th season of the Grimeborn Opera Festival, The Elixir of Love (Reimagined) is by far the shortest piece in the festival, providing an accessible entry-point to new audiences who may find a traditional length piece daunting.
Rather than Nemorino’s original characterisation as ‘poor peasant guy,’ here he is a poor, bus-obsessed guy à la Francis Bourgeois. His tragic pining for ‘it-girl’ Adina is thwarted when handsome hipster Belcore, charmingly portrayed by Jack Holton, rolls in – teenie-beanie and biceps in tow. Adina, who has declared that she ‘doesn’t believe in love,’ decides this guy would be just right for a casual fling. When viral ‘Love Effects’ salesman, Dulcamara (Peter Edge) appears with the titular elixir, Nemorino jumps at the ‘deal’ with all the cash he has left in his bank account. Filled with twists of modernized interpretations of social folly, such as making moments ‘for the gram,’ and lamenting the pitfalls of Tinder, this reimagined and updated production aims to relate to 21st century audiences, in an occasionally slightly camp and cringe manner, yet it manages to retain the swift humor of the original opera that has captivated audiences for the past 200 years.
The performances from all four actors were lively and engaging, although slightly two-dimensional. Kelly brings a casual charm to the modern Adina and tackles her arias with grace, but she jumps a little sporadically and ungracefully from affectionate to cruel over the course of a single song. Cooke brings a naive and quirky humour to his Nemorino, although we see little growth in his character throughout the piece – likely more a fault of the stylistic conventions than Cooke’s own tackling of the role.
The direction by Joanna Turner was unadventurous for such an updated ‘reimagining.’ Perhaps unsurprising for a casual opera audience, but younger theatre goers may yearn for a bit more creativity in the staging of the piece. The music was lovely and cheerful, expertly played by Leo Geyer, Yuliia Humeniuk, and Philippa Mo, keeping up the pace and tempo with the lively action. The text setting was occasionally inelegant in its scansion, but still managed to pull laughs from the audience with the actor’s clever delivery.
In an age where modern audiences aren’t frequently drawn to see opera, it is refreshing to experience an updated classic in a digestible time frame. Lighthearted, relatable, yet slightly camp, this piece serves as an easy introduction to the vast world of operatic comedies.