The most effective scene in Opera Holland Park's production of Tosca is the chilling climax to the first act. James Robert Carson's production is set in fascist Italy during the war, and Roderick Earle's Scarpia, cast as one of Mussolini's minions, gloats over his defeat of Cavaradossi and conquest of Tosca. Earle's malevolent Scarpia leads the procession into the Church of Sant'Andrea, and amid the chanting of the Te Deum, his declamation, "Tosca, you make me forget God", turns the rituals of the religion into a celebration of lust.

This moment of grandiose dramatic frisson is the exception in a production that makes the most of Holland Park's small-scale surroundings to focus on the intimate heart of the story. The affair between Dominic Natoli's Cavaradossi and Christine Bunning's Tosca is sensitively depicted, even if Natoli's is the more powerful voice and convincing interpretation.

His engaging tenor relishes the big moments of the role, especially the arias of the first act, and his vocal performance is matched by a subtle portrayal of Cavaradossi as lover and revolutionary. Bunning's Tosca is imperious and haughty, never quite becoming the seductive siren that Puccini demands.

The second act is the dark heart of the production, as Scarpia seduces Tosca into deceiving Cavaradossi, and it is where Earle's performance is most effective. His oleaginous charm turns Puccini's black-hearted monster into a recognisable human being, making Tosca's betrayal believable. The third act, however, is the most problematic. Philip Ellis, conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, allows the tension to dissipate in the long scene between Tosca and Cavaradossi and he never unleashes the epic passions that the score requires. This is an efficient production and the story is clearly told, but it misses the heights of drama and intensity of Puccini's score.

· Ends tonight. Box office: 0845 230 9769.