Perth Poetry Festival: Between Breath and Bard

Darkness doesn’t last forever.

She waits in the shadows for his voice to carry her home. He is silent. A mirror reflects. A box is opened. A promise of freedom is whispered. A box is closed. Corners of the room become memories of the past. Dust settles, wind echoes. He finds his voice. Between Breath and Bard, their story unfolds in poetic threads.

Visual imagery and raw, emotive spoken words, connect audience and poet. WA creative, Sally Newman, and award winning SA poet, Paul R Kohn, bring their show to The Blue Room Theatre as part of the Perth Poetry Festival 2025 thanks to WA Poets Inc. This show is for the survivors of darkness, the seekers of hope and those who search for answers in unopened boxes, unexpected moments and unfamiliar dreams.

Review

‘Between Breath and Bard was narrative poetry at its finest. Two players told the story of being lost, unheard, seen, found, rebuilt and still breathing.’ — Pam Makin

‘As a poet, Between Breath and Bard was a revelation. Spoken word poetry has the ability to lift words from the page and imbue them with an extra later of emotion. Clever set design, a poignant soundtrack and accomplished performances from the two artists, takes that emotion and gives it an intriguing narrative shape. I found the show connectible and inspiring, like it was worth effort dragging my sorry bones out of bed this morning.’ — Critic