We sat down with Natasha Page who makes her debut with English Touring Opera as Adina in a new production of Donizetti’s ‘The Elixir of Love’, which opens at Hackney Empire on 27 September before touring across the country, tickets are available here.
Natasha, congratulations on your ETO debut! How does it feel to be stepping into the role of Adina for the very first time with the company?
Thank you! I’m absolutely thrilled to be making my ETO debut as Adina. Working with this company has been a long-standing goal of mine – I’ve seen friends and colleagues perform with ETO and have always been so impressed by the standard of both the performers and the productions. It’s a real honour to now be part of that myself. ETO has such a forward-thinking ethos, especially in making exceptional artistic experiences accessible to all, which is something I feel very strongly about. I’m really excited to bring this role to life with them.
Adina is such a strong and playful character. What have you enjoyed most about discovering and embodying her?
I see The Elixir of Love as a coming-of-age story for Adina. In our version, it’s set in a rundown seaside town, with Adina and Nemorino on the brink of adulthood. Adina dreams of escape – she sees endless possibilities beyond the town and is ready to move on. But when two strangers arrive, everything shifts. They act as catalysts for change, and Adina starts to question what she really wants. Maybe, just maybe, there’s something – or someone – worth staying for. It’s a very relatable journey. We’ve all been through that messy, awkward phase of growing up, thinking we have all the answers, only to realise there’s still so much to learn.
Donizetti’s Elixir of Love is often described as sparkling and joyful – do you have a favourite moment in the opera that always makes you smile when performing it?
There’s so much brilliant music in this opera – well done, Donizetti! One moment that always makes me smile is the duet with Dulcamara at the start of Act 2. It’s very cheeky, with incredibly catchy music. That said, I might be slightly biased, but Adina’s big aria at the end of Act 2 is a real favourite. The cavatina is such a gift to sing—it’s a moment of true sincerity from her.
Winning the 2023 Maureen Lehane Vocal Award was such a big achievement. How has that milestone shaped your journey leading into this debut?
Winning the 2023 Maureen Lehane Vocal Award gave me a huge boost of confidence and opened several doors. Through connections from the competition, I performed my first Fiordiligi in Così fan tutte at the Celebrate Voice Festival – a big milestone. Fiordiligi is a demanding role that requires serious vocal stamina, much like Adina. Taking on that challenge helped build the vocal and mental resilience I’m now drawing on in this debut.
Touring opera brings music to audiences across the country who might not otherwise experience it. What excites you most about taking this show on the road with ETO?
I’m excited to bring this opera to audiences across the country, and to explore cities I’ve never visited before. We’re performing the opera in a vibrant English translation, which really brings out the humour and heart of the story. It’s a rom-com at its core, and I think people will really connect with it. I’m also looking forward to taking part in the schools workshops – it’s so important for young people to experience opera early on. They’re the audiences of the future.
What do you hope audiences will take away from Elixir of Love?
At the heart of this opera is the question: what is love?
Is it true devotion? Playful independence? Can it be bought, owned – or bottled in a magic potion? The Elixir of Love has fun with all of this. I hope audiences leave smiling, thinking about what love means to them, and with hearts a little warmer than when they arrived.