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HENRIK Ibsen's play may have been written more than 100 years ago, but the story still has plenty of relevance today.

The tale of Nora, the original desperate housewife, is a morality drama that explores marriage politics against a backdrop of modern consumerism.

A prim housewife's desire to keep up with the Joneses leads to all kinds of trouble when a secret debt to a loan shark combines with a reassessment of her life as a trophy wife.

As the play goes on we learn that Nora (Tilly Gaunt) is not as simple as she seems. Her character is irritating, but you quickly realise that is the intention and she begins to share our frustration with her own shallow outlook on life.

Her story begins to reveal itself and, by the end of the show, the tension in the audience was palpable.

Although the themes are fairly heavy, this Northern Stage production kept a light-hearted air about it, until the big emotional punch at the end.

Confusingly, what we thought was an interval after the first act turned out to be a three-minute break. Why not stretch it to five minutes next time? But overall this was another great show at one of the best venues for drama around.

■ Until Saturday at 7.30pm.

Tickets £5 -£18. Box Office: 0191-230-5151.

10:54am Monday 28th April 2008

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