The New Year is a time for looking ahead, and there’s plenty of drama on offer in the coming months.

But January is also for looking back at what has come before. And the Linen Hall Library in Belfast is offering theatre-lovers a wonderful chance to say farewell to the Lyric Theatre. The building in Ridgeway Street has already bitten the dust, and the replacement theatre will rise, phoenix-like, from the rubble over the spring.

So it's not a physical farewell on offer at the Linen Hall Library— more of an emotional au revoir. A film exhibition by Jackie Doyle called Old Memories, Young Hopes, marks the end of the theatre's Lyric Lives project, and explores the significance of the theatre for its artists, audiences and city.

The installation will feature contributions from audience members, actors and a lot of archive footage which was collected during the project.

The exhibition celebrates the theatre's history from its opening in 1951 until it closed its doors last year. Entrance is free, and Old Memories, Young Hopes runs until January 17.

January has arrived with a chill wind at its back, but so far none of us have had to skate to work. Well, not unless you're a member of the Cirque de Glace, the ice spectacular which opened at the Waterfront this week.

The Russian Ice Stars combine Olympic-standard skating with acrobatics to produce a mesmerising spectacle. From the moment that a volcano erupts on stage (honestly!) to the point where a huge fiery sculpture hangs in the air, the show promises one unforgettable moment after another.

The show is choreographed by Cavalieri Giuseppe Arena, who created the opening ceremony at the Winter Olympics in 2006. And the dazzling stage lighting comes courtesy of Tim Routledge, who was involved with the Olympics closing ceremony in Beijing.

Cirque de Glace also features the world's tallest ice skater, Andrey Chuvilyaev, who measures six feet eight inches, and who will skate alongside local talent Dempsey Andrews, the 12-year-old whizz-kid from Dundonald.

The show runs until January 11, and promises to bring a bit of wonder to wintertime in Belfast.

And if you still need something to shake off that post-festive fug, book yourself a seat at the Old Museum Arts Centre, where funnyman Terry Saunders (right) will be performing his show, Figure 8.

Following shows about a boy who speaks only in the lyrics of Pulp songs and a woman hopelessly obsessed with newspaper Missed Connection columns, Terry’s new show is a story of low-fidelity loveliness inspired by musician Elliott Smith.

Figure 8 is about a man who can see people’s futures. Generally his visions are mundane — a man lying to his wife, a child winning a medal — and irritating rather than revelatory. But when he meets an intriguing girl for whom he sees no future, things begin to look up ... for a while.

Figure 8 is plays at OMAC on January 16 and 17 — a love story for the New Year. Treat yourself.

grania.mcfadden@ntlworld.com