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ED Fringe 25' | Behind the Curtain: An Interview with All Fired Up: An 80s Mixtape Musical's Roz Pappalardo


Firstly could you introduce yourself and could you tell us what All Fired Up: An 80s Mixtape Musical is about?

I am a creative, songwriter, theatre maker, community engagement mover and shaker, producer and all round make things happen gal who also likes to do fun things with her dog like scent detection and sheep herding. I manage the program at the iconic Australian event, Tamworth Country Music Festival and program a number of venues and Festivals independently throughout Australia All Fired Up; an 80’s mixtape musical – we are bringing 10 (count them 10) creatives from Tropical North Queensland, Cairns, Australia (think, the Great Barrier Reef) to Edinburgh to perform our hit show - part rock concert, part 80’s dance class, part comedy to Studio One, The Assembly Rooms. For the entire season. 


The show  is wrapped around Tammy Tooth’s midlife crisis, a time-travel twist and a live 80’s soundtrack that shaped a generation. In 60 jam-packed minutes, Rachel Terry (co – writer and co-producer) and her real-life teenage daughter Scarlett explore how music (and a little self-reflection) can change your life. Meanwhile, I’m DJ Neon—radio DJ, unofficial life coach, and lead vocalist (in front of a live 4-piece rock band) of over 15 epic ‘80s anthems. When we first heard Pat Benatar’s Hit Me With Your Best Shot and Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Wanna Have Fun as young teens, something shifted. That raw power and the out loud soul searching? It stuck with us. It built us. All Fired Up is a tribute to that spirit—and a love letter to every woman who's ever danced through her drama. It’s about saying yes to life’s possibilities at any age.


So we invite you - dust off your leg warmers or run don’t walk to your nearest vintage shop, liberally smear on your blue eye shadow, and come solve the problems of your world – one 80’s song at time. 


How did the idea of the show come about? What sparked the idea and what was it about that particular idea that made you write this show?

Rachel and I as co-creators came at the idea from different ways. I was inspired by watching another theatre show that had a real-life rock band on-stage coupled with the idea that I wanted to tell a story about growing up in a really really small country town with one radio station and how I was inspired by music to be the best I could be. I would listen fervently to the radio station every night and record songs on my cassette recorder and then learn every word diligently. Make up harmonies, make up lyrics. And here I am today. Still doing the same thing Rachel was inspired by an 80’s adult dance class she was running for women the community, and how the invitation to be yourself and dance like no one was watching was embraced by a league of women in our town and in fact all over Australia. These women have become an integral part of the community engagement aspect of our show whereby they join the action in the last 10 minutes and dance with us to 3 seminal songs from the 80’s.


We engaged with over 400 women across Australia in this community engagement moment during our 2023 / 2024 tour and we hope to do the same in Edinburgh. In fact, many of the women who danced with us during our Australian tour are making the journey to Edinburgh to dance with us and be a part of this experience.


Audience participation is encouraged with this show, could you expand and tell more about this and give us a little taste of what audiences should be expected to join in with?

We hold no prisoners during our show and you’re invited to get up on your feet and learn a few crazy dance moves (if you like) from almost the first moments of the show! Also we will be holding 80’s dance workshops during our season, and those people that participate can then perform in the final 3 numbers of the show. Their engagement develops the plot and brings the show to its climax . As mentioned, we have recently toured around Australia and engaged over 400 dancers in our show. (They don’t have to be dancers- movers are fine). Some of those women are even flying themselves over to Edinburgh (at their own cost) to perform in the show for a week or two.


Keep your eye on our socials to hear about these workshop opportunities


The show won Best Theatre at the Adelaide Fringe in 2023, what did you learn at Adelaide Fringe that you didn’t know before that you're bringing to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

It’s expensive


It’s a risk


You gotta work the audience and postering and flyering is a real thing!

Sleep when you’re dead.

Drink a lot of water


Late night food options are necessary parts of life.


What is your goal for this show?

We want to show the world that a little show out of Far North Queensland, Australia can defy the odds and make an international debut. We want to bring joy to communities and music lovers. We want people to walk away from our show and think about joining an adult’s dance class, picking up a paint brush, joining a book club or perhaps getting out to a live music show or theatre show! Reengaging with the arts because that brings about well-being.


As the co-writer of the show, what would you say your writing process is and what advice would you give to any future theatre writers?

This show was very collaborative to bring together. Rachel and I have very different skills in this space. However, we packed ourselves up for a weekend and went to a secluded location and wrote a few seminal scenes and plotted the form of the show. We then filled in the blanks as we were premiering it on the iconic Brisbane Powerhouse stage.


You also perform in the show, how do you keep your writing and performing side separate?

As an artist, I can’t do that. It’s all blended. Everything I do from writing songs, producing events and programming Festivals to performing all feed each other and support each other to make the person that I am.


How excited are you for All Fired Up: An 80s Mixtape Musical to be playing at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe?

Can I say 1000% excited? It’s a wildest dream. It’s happening!


Where can audiences see All Fired Up: An 80s Mixtape?

Assembly George Square Studios (Studio One), Edinburgh, EH8 9JU

Wednesday 30th July – Monday 25th August 2025 (not 12th, 19th), 17:55


Describe the show in one sentence or three words.

1980’s MUSIC COMEDY


Part rock concert, park epic 80’s aerobics class, part comedy!


All Fired Up: An 80's Mixtape Musical plays at the Fringe from 30th of July until 25th of August.



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