Theatre Maker
Soul shaker, sourdough baker, piss taker. A story of a woman who shows up late for herself. Enamoured by the magic of the world and terrified of her own darkness, she takes to the stage in an attempt impress the few who have shown up. Fermented Dreams is Jess Kav’s semi-autobiographical one woman show.
“My dreams aren’t dead, just smelling funny”
Noelle is late to her headline show. There are three people of influence waiting. She has a flurry of excuses. Why is she so late to show up for herself?
Will she get the help and validation she needs from her show? Or will it be another stinker she’ll wash down with booze? Over 60 minutes we are introduced to Noelle as she attempts to map her life from being a child staring at the moon, to a teen searching for the spotlight to an adult terrified of the limelight. She is overwhelmed by the burdens of being an independent artist while crippled with the fear of being perceived. A singer who has climbed her way from total obscurity to mild familiarity, in a society that fears Jazz but loves Garth Brooks. Now at a precipice, is it time for her to give it all up, set alight her dreams or find a way to keep them as she faces the cusp of middle age.
Still finding peace in her music and art,“Fermented Dreams” is a funny, dark and vulnerable exploration of hope, creativity, vocation and confronting your dreams. Are they dead and rotten? Or just smelling funny and salvageable?
This show is a coming of age story for the ones still finding themselves well into the era of lower back pain, IBS, cough-wees and grey streaks. If you like unhinged vocalists and spicy piano ballads, you’ll enjoy this.
“We had no idea what to expect - Jess enthralled us with effortless soulful vocals on beautiful songs, woven into an incredibly personal, touching psycho-drama. We were taken into the cleverly written world of an artist on the brink, eavesdropping on the intense journey of a musical people-pleaser, and the liberation that comes with learning to please yourself. I hope Jess’s one woman show tours.” - Dave Mason, TalkRadio UK
“Fermented Dreams was a revelation. A semi-autobiographical journey of an artist’s clear struggle for authenticity whilst attempting to appease an industry whose desire to discover the next big thing transcends their love of music as an art form. Jess Kav’s performance is outstanding and not only clearly depicts the struggle, it makes you feel it.” - Curt Smith, Tears For Fears
Acting
Jess Kav’s Fermented Dreams is not Kav’s first introduction to theatre. Beginning with Sean and Maureen Gilligan’s stage school in the 2000s, she played alongside Brian Gilligan (Lion King, The Commitments) and Steph McKeon (Beautiful, Frozen, The Commitments). Kav went on to focus on live music but found her way back to theatre in the 2020s. She has appeared in The Abbey Theatre for “Somewhere Out There You” and has been a regular contributor to theatre and cabaret pieces for The Dublin Fringe Festival and The Dublin Theatre Festival.
Jess Kav is a multidisciplinary performer whose acting work spans stage and screen. She appeared in the short film Baths and performed as part of the ensemble for Somewhere Out There You at The Abbey Theatre. Her one-woman show at the Dublin Fringe Festival was a sold-out success, where she acted, produced, and performed her own work. Most recently, she completed an intensive acting course, further expanding her range and deepening her commitment to the craft. In 2025 Kav has just finished “Fundamentals Of Acting” in The Lir, Dublin and has been working with Deirdre Kinehan, Jim Culleton, Steve Wickham and Wayne Sheehy on a new theatre work for 2026.
