We were transported: local history and engaging performances in L'elisir at St Paul's Opera

Donizetti: L'elisir d'amore - Martins Smaukstelis & chorus - St Paul's Opera (Photo: Julian Guidera)

Donizetti: L'Elisir d'Amore; Fiona Hymns, Martins Smaukstelis, Theodore Day, Ashley Mercer, Isabella Roberts, director: Eloise Lally, music director: Adrian Salinero, St Paul's Opera; St Paul's Church, Clapham
Reviewed 5 July 2025

A strong cast make this a warmly engaging evening in the theatre with stylish musical performances from the soloists and a feeling of enjoyment from all.

St Paul's Opera in Clapham leaned into a bit of local history for its Summer opera production. At St Paul's Church in Clapham, Eloise Lally directed Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore (seen 5 July 2025) with a setting, designed by Ted Blackburn, inspired by the South London Hospital for Women and Children. Fiona Hymns was Adina, Martins Smaukstelis was Nemorino, with Theodore Day as Belcore, Ashley Mercer as Dulcamara and Isabella Roberts as Giannetta. Musical director Adrian Salinero directed an instrumental ensemble of seven from the piano in an orchestral reduction by Hamish Brown.

Lally's production reset the opera in the 1950s in a hospital ward, run by Adina (Fiona Hymns), with Nemorino as a junior orderly (Martins Smaukstelis). Belcore (Theodore Day) became the ward's longest resident, a man whose mind remains in the past, with Ashley Mercer's Dulcamara as a visiting quack. In the first act, the subtle reordering of the plot required Adina to go along with Belcore's delusion and devotion, though it gradually became more unclear. Was Nemorino deluded too when he 'signed up' for the Army. Whilst this recasting of Belcore removed the element of danger to Nemorino's peril (Adina didn''t actually save him from anything), what Lally's recasting did was to soften the edges of Donizetti's comedy.

Donizetti: L'elisir d'amore - Fiona Hymns, Martins Smaukstelis - St Paul's Opera (Photo: Julian Guidera)

Both Donizetti's major comic operas, L'Elisir d'Amore and Don Pasquale have nasty edges. For much of the opera, Adina is moderately unpleasant to Nemorino and Belcore is downright savage to him, whilst in Don Pasquale, the older man gets treated abominably. In this version of L'Elisir d'Amore, Belcore's actions were not real and so acceptable, whilst Adina had some of her spikes removed. Though, as with other modern updating of the story that I have seen, the production rather blurred the important class element that prevents Adina and Nemorino getting together in the original.

It helped that St Paul's Opera had assembled a truly enviable cast. Fiona Hymns was a warmly engaging Adina, viewing Martins Smaukstelis' Nemorino was amused tolerance rather than anything edgier. She sang with lovely lyric tone, combining a surprisingly substantial voice with a nice feel for the coloratura. This Adina was definitely far more than canary. Her interaction with Ashley Mercer's Dulcamara was distinctly fun, but it was in the long scenes with Smaukstelis that the heart of her performance came.

Martins Smaukstelis' voice had a surprising depth of tone to it, lending his Nemorino a fascinating richness yet he was stylish too so that 'Una furtiva lagrima' was a delight. He managed to make Nemorino engagingly naïve and eager to please rather than too dim. The eagerness was rather charming, and Smaukstelis had a way of using his eyes which brought out Nemorino's reactions.

Donizetti: L'elisir d'amore - Ashley Mercer & chorus - St Paul's Opera (Photo: Julian Guidera)

Ashley Mercer performed Dulcamara with great relish, projecting the words with clear delight and giving us a real treat in the patter. He was something of a wide-boy, yet had a real engaging quality which you made realise why he was such a success despite being a quack. Mercer kept a nice twinkle in his eye throughout, and the way he conned Nemorino did not feel quite as underhand as it can.

This sense of engaging charm was something that also imbued Theodore Day's Belcore. Wearing pyjamas with a military jacket over throughout the show, this Belcore was clearly in his own little world. This mean, that Day was able to project a sort of wide-eyed innocence in a role that is anything but. The resulting character had a warmth to it because of Day's richly expressive voice.

Donizetti: L'elisir d'amore - Theodore Day, Fiona Hymns
St Paul's Opera (Photo: Julian Guidera)

Isabella Roberts had the relatively thankless role of Giannetta but played her to the hilt and sparkled in her small solo moments.

The hard-working chorus of eight were each differently outfitted and each clearly had a character and back story. They entered into the staging with a will and were firm of voice when it came to the choruses. They were supported by the instrumental ensemble of seven (string quartet, clarinet, trumpet and piano), with Adrian Salerno directing from the piano. 

There were times when the combination of resonant acoustic, awkward sightlines and rather enthusiastically active production meant that ensemble was not ideal and you felt that Salerno could have afforded to be more demonstrative. But overall he gave admirable space and time for the soloists, without ever making things seem strung out.

This was an engaging evening in the theatre, with everyone filling the hall with joy and clear enjoyment. St Paul's Church is not the most obvious venue for an opera but as on previous occasions, they managed to transport us.

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