Act 1

In a small village, somewhere in Italy, a poor young man called Nemorino is hopelessly in love with the capricious and unobtainable Adina. He listens longingly as she reads aloud to her workers and guests the tale of Tristan and Isolde, whose love for each other was inflamed by the drinking of a magic potion.

A stranger arrives in the village – Captain Belcore – who immediately begins to flirt with Adina. Nemorino is miserably jealous, and appalled when Belcore precipitately asks for Adina's hand in marriage. She does not immediately accept, but neither does she categorically refuse him. Fearful of losing Adina, Nemorino declares his love for her: kindly but firmly, she turns him down.

A second stranger drops in – the colourful and charismatic Doctor Dulcamara. Claiming to offer a miraculous cure for every ill, he sells his wares to the villagers. Nemorino, believing that the hand of fate is helping him, asks the Doctor if he stocks Isolde's love potion. Seizing the chance to make some easy money, Dulcamara instantly produces the elixir of love. It will not, he warns, take effect for 24 hours: by the time Nemorino discovers it's nothing but cheap wine, the ‘Doctor' will have left the village.

Nemorino, who has never drunk alcohol before, proceeds to drink the entire bottle. He quickly grows more cheerful and confident. Seeing Adina, he adopts an air of lofty indifference. Piqued by his change in attitude, she informs Belcore that she will marry him at the end of the week.

At that moment, the Captain's officers arrive with orders to return to duty the following morning. He therefore suggests they bring forward the wedding to that very evening. Nemorino is horrified: by the time the love potion works its magic, Adina will already have married. He pleads with her, but to no avail. To the joy of everyone in the village, Adina and Belcore make preparations for their nuptials.