A sweltering Italian summer evening. The romantic tension between Adina and Nemorino electrifies the air. But they are not alone. A group of friends puts their love and social standing at risk. Director Marcos Darbyshire’s contemporary version of Donizetti’s comic opera L’elisir d’amore is a coming-of-age opera exploring identity and loss of innocence. ‘There will be a lot of laughter, but with rather than at the characters’ promises the director. The all-Dutch co-production between Opera Zuid, Dutch National Touring Opera and Dutch National Opera features an excellent young cast from the Dutch National Opera Studio.