Love unrequited, wrote Another Librettist, robs me of my rest, and there is a lot of unrequited love in English Touring Opera’s latest production, Amadigi. In possibly the least complicated plot of any Handel opera, Amadigi has fallen for the portrait of Oriana, only his pal Dardano also has the hots for her and so conspires with the sorceress Melissa, who fancies Amadigi herself, to ensure that it is Dardano, not Amadigi who gets off with Oriana, who is currently incarcerated in a magic tower by Melissa.

As a result, there is not much action, compared with the alarums and excursions of other Handel operas, but there is a lot of emoting for the four would-be lovers.

Director James Conway has set what action there is in what appears to be a courtyard or great hall of Melissa’s castle, with her statue in the middle of the stage, and an all-seeing eye high on the wall. Rory Beaton lights this space with pools of mainly blue, purple, violet, the better to contrast with the flaming reds of fire when Amadigi dares  attempt a rescue of Oriana. Designer Neil Irish dresses the ladies in strongly-coloured quasi-grecian gowns, the men in quasi-military overcoats and boots, with toy wooden swords.

William Towers has a ringing, bell-like quality to his high notes, though his overall tone is quite dark. His Amadigi sounds a bit lugubrious as a result but, arguably, has a lot to be lugubrious about, fainting with horror when Melissa conjures for him an illusion of Dardano embracing Oriana. He is also into yoga, practising his moves as he prepares to risk the flames, zoning out in a meditative lotus while Oriana is banging on about something.

Rebecca Afonwy-Jones brings a full, deep contralto to Dardano, while maintaining a lightness in higher passages. Unpleasant in his machinations as Dardano may be, she lends him a dignity both when, thanks to Melissa, wooing Oriana in the guise of Amadigi and, after being killed by Amadigi, in a foretaste of the Commendatore some 70 years later, briefly returning from hell with an Awful Warning.

The ladies – Jenny Stafford as Melissa and Harriet Eyley as Oriana are well-matched, both strong, powerful voices. Stafford’s duet with the oboe in ‘Ah, spietato’ is delightful, ‘Ch’io lasci mai d’amare il caro mio tesoro’ in which Eyley sings quite vehemently AT Melissa is glorious. When doing something evil, Stafford has a supremely patronising smile, which she frequently bestows on her victim Oriana. All, however, ends well for Amadigi and Oriana, as Melissa, thwarted, stabs herself and dies slowly and volubly, while the child-god of Love blesses them.

In an interesting twist, the closing minutes are sung in English, with Italian side-titles. Although the opera lacks any of the Handelian jukebox hits, there are some gorgeous passages – trumpets especially have some good moments, as do oboe and recorder - and Jonathan Peter Kenny conducts the Old Street Band with aplomb.