Haven't seen many films at the cinema this year, but... grateful for standout works like Sentimental Value, The Odyssey and now Wildwood.
Simon Fallaha
@simonfallaha.bsky.social
Writer on just about everything related to the arts. Keen on photography too.
To talk about Travis Knight’s Wildwood concisely, it’s the epic and erudite evolution of his admirable Masters Of The Universe - a family and fantasy story rich in ideas and inspiration.
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - Faith Healer. The deeply moving and compelling Lyric Theatre Production of Brian Friel's play, directed by Emma Jordan, runs at the Lyric as part of @belfastfestival.bsky.social #BIAF26 until Saturday November 14. Review here. tinyurl.com/mumsn36r
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - The Body Of Bobby. Gary Breslin's "courageous, sharp and funny coming-of-age period piece", directed by Kieran Griffiths, concludes its run at Derry-Londonderry's Millennium Forum on Saturday October 10. Review here. tinyurl.com/2v7vvsak
We’ve lost George Fenton and Eva Marie Saint this week. Devastated. Both have created musical and acting memories, respectively, that will last throughout my lifetime.
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - The End Is In The Beginning. This highly enjoyable Samuel Beckett omnibus ran at Derry-Londonderry's Playhouse Theatre last night, September 17, and will be performed at the Seamus Heaney HomePlace tonight, September 18. Read my review here. tinyurl.com/cd7b78jm
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - Paddy: The Life & Times Of Paddy Armstrong. The Wooden Bridge production features an astonishing performance from Don Wycherley and runs at Belfast's Lyric Theatre until Sunday September 13. Read my review here. tinyurl.com/2h6b3dkr
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - Wonderland. The Ravara Productions musical show "captures the audience's attention with energised spirit". It concludes its run at @themacbelfast.bsky.social on Sunday August 30. Read my review here. tinyurl.com/36rrpzac
ICYMI: Decades of dwindling arts funding in Northern Ireland are beginning to take its toll. It’s time to speak up, warns Michael Quinn. 👇
Michael Quinn on Northern Ireland's arts funding crisis
thestage.co.uk
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - Steel Magnolias. Emily Foran directs Robert Harling's play, an "exceptional" show which gives "brand new life to classic tragicomedy". The Lyric Theatre production runs at the Belfast theatre until Friday July 10. Review here. tinyurl.com/2kurp4rr
My review of Maiden Voyage Dance's LOOP, choreographed by Mónica Muñoz, composed by Katie Richardson and performed by Eva McGeown, Sarah Flavelle and Patrick Connolly. Seen at the Young At Art Belfast Children's Festival #BCF26.
LOOP review - Simon Fallaha — Maiden Voyage Dance
Mónica Muñoz's LOOP, performed by Eva McGeown, Sarah Flavelle and Patrick Connolly at the 2026 Young at Art Belfast Children's Festival, offers "boundless conceptuality" from within the confines of it...
tinyurl.com
Disclosure Day has good ideas and good performances but it also feels haphazard. To be fair so does Close Encounters but there seems to be a greater emotional connection in that case. Nonetheless, much to laud. West Side ‘21 remains Spielberg’s crowning achievement of the decade to date.
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - Bold Girls. Michael Quinn (@quinnfreelance.bsky.social) directs Rona Munro's play for Centre Stage, and the result is "profoundly affecting... a welcome interlude". The play runs at Belfast's Lyric until Sunday June 14. Read my review here. tinyurl.com/4cf3nat3
In the run up to Disclosure Day… I wasn’t overly keen on The Fabelmans. It had its moments but it felt hollow. In West Side Story ‘21, however, a hollowness was integrated into song and dance to reveal discomforting truths - it’s a masterpiece.
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - The Effect. The Bardic Theatre production of Lucy Prebble's "sharp, sincere and entirely heartfelt" play, directed by James Murphy, concludes its run at Belfast's Lyric Theatre on Saturday June 6. Review here. tinyurl.com/47z6r2r2
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - Girls And Boys. The Untap Production of Dennis Kelly's play featured an "astonishing" performance from Katie Breen and ran at @themacbelfast.bsky.social earlier this year. Read my review here. tinyurl.com/yu32dfse
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - Where We Bury The Bones. The Dumbworld and Kilkenny Arts Festival co-production, staged at Belfast's Lyric Theatre earlier this year, is "experimental, eloquent, eclectic and understated... a feast of aesthetic admiration". Read my review here. tinyurl.com/2ktrw9ba
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - Tea In A China Cup. A new Lyric Theatre production of Christina Reid's play, directed by Dan Gordon, this "lively, fascinating and richly fulfilling" work runs at the Belfast theatre until May 30. Review here. tinyurl.com/63jtsrft
#Music #Review at #SiArtsNI - Lady Day: A Celebration Of Billie Holiday. Vocalist Camille Rose led "a refreshing, energising and on the whole rather delectable tribute" to a legend at Derry-Londonderry's Playhouse Theatre as part of this year's #DerryJazzFest. Review here. tinyurl.com/y55k7bkk
#Music #Review at #SiArtsNI - Sylvie Noble. The London-based vocalist and composer performed on Friday May 1 at Derry-Londonderry's Playhouse Theatre as part of this year's #DerryJazzFest. Review here. tinyurl.com/397a2whx
Still applies, whether promotion is automatic or via the play-offs. Let’s see what happens. #Boro #UTB
Simon Fallaha@simonfallaha.bsky.social · 7mo agoI am a #Boro fan. I see us very well placed in our best chance of promotion to the top tier in years and yet we seem weighed down by the historical precedent of being built up and let down repeatedly. Just because it happened then, and often, doesn’t mean it has to happen now. We’ve got this. #UTB
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - Cuckoo-Land. Kabosh Theatre's "alert, alive and affecting" piece, a "consummately crafted tale of tumultuous truths" runs at @themacbelfast.bsky.social until Sunday April 26. Review here. tinyurl.com/d4ek4atf
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - A Bomber's Moon. The "tautly structured and very human" Bright Umbrella play stars Leah Williamson, Glenn McGivern, John Travers and Andy Porter, and runs until April 19 with more shows from May 1 to May 2. Review here. tinyurl.com/5n89pe6e
And we’ve still got this. Automatic promotion may be out of our hands right now but we were four points behind the second placed team, with fewer goals scored, in 1998. And that was *also* with six games to go. And we made it in the end. It really isn’t over ‘til it’s over. #Boro #UTB
Simon Fallaha@simonfallaha.bsky.social · 7mo agoI am a #Boro fan. I see us very well placed in our best chance of promotion to the top tier in years and yet we seem weighed down by the historical precedent of being built up and let down repeatedly. Just because it happened then, and often, doesn’t mean it has to happen now. We’ve got this. #UTB
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - GROUP! A "hyperactively melodramatic comedy opera", this "awe-inspiring" co-production between The Belfast Ensemble and Belfast's Lyric Theatre runs at the Lyric until Saturday April 4. Review here. tinyurl.com/3u6tm7h5
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - The Green Frog. Johanna Gallagher's play, a Wildering Production starring Eimear Ginesi, Jack Elmore and Kai McCaughtry, runs at the Shoot Gallery in Belfast as part of @imaginebelfast.bsky.social until March 25. Review here. tinyurl.com/myrp9vfp
#Theatre #Review at #SiArtsNI - I, She, Medusa. The Dark Forest production, with Nathan Martin and Jade O'Neill, an instance of "fact and fairy tale blended for mysterious murk and the searching of the soul" recently ran at @themacbelfast.bsky.social. Review here. tinyurl.com/4ver9tf8
