Deutsche Oper Berlin, 2014 & 2017

Directing Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore at the Deutsche Oper Berlin in 2014 was a wonderful opportunity to reimagine this classic opera with a fresh, 1950s twist. I updated the setting to feature a vibrant, travelling theatre company, complete with three red caravans adorned with fairy lights, creating a whimsical backdrop for this playful story of love and mistaken identities.

When you first read it, you think it’s really very light and the libretto almost comes across as silly, because you can’t quite believe that it makes sense, but some when you start to really look into it, you realise that it actually is very true of human behaviour and very well observed of love and people’s feelings. I find it very difficult to just have a concept and just put it on top of someone, for example, Heidi, who plays Adina, is someone very strong. When you read it, you could imagine a very frothy, superficial kind of character, and to have someone like Heidi who plays it so seriously, means that you find all sorts of unexpected colours and depth.

In this production, my aim was to delve beyond the lightness of the libretto and explore the genuine emotions of the characters. Working with a talented cast allowed me to discover the deeper nuances of the story, bringing unexpected colours and layers to the characters of Nemorino and Adina, and ultimately celebrating the charm and depth of this delightful opera.