‘80s mixtape musical All Fired Up is coming to The Q next week

Posted on 12 April, 2024

What do you get when you combine a mum and daughter acting duo, time travel, a rocking ‘80s soundtrack performed by a live band, spandex leotards and a DJ-turned-life advice expert?

You get All Fired Up, a thumping power ballad of a show, coming to The Q on Thursday 18 April.

Created by real-life best friends and artistic powerhouses Rachel Terry and Roz Pappalardo, All Fired Up is the story of Tammy Tooth (played by Rachel) who, during an epic mid-life meltdown, finds herself in her teenage bedroom, facing her 15-year-old-self (played by Rachel’s daughter Scarlett Terry) back in the 1980s. Cue Madonna played from a tape deck.

With the help of larger-than-life DJ Neon (Roz) and her live band of ‘80s rockers, All Fired Up is about rediscovering your zest for life – with a side of spandex leotards and Cyndi Lauper – a journey Roz explains was inspired by her and Rachel’s upbringings in 1980s rural Queensland, where anything outside of your small community was delivered via the TV and radio.

“We were two regional women from Far North Queensland, growing up in the rainforest and on a cane farm, completely separated from the world and listening to the local radio station,” she explains. “You just fell in love with the music you listened to and the only way to capture it was to tape it on the TDK and then you’d write down the lyrics and often get them wrong,” she laughs.

Through the magic of song and dance – All Fired Up is described as “part rock concert, part energetic dance class, part heartfelt theatre piece” – Roz says everything can be made better.

“It’s about just those memories of how those songs can transport you to a new and different time and place…we all know that nostalgia isn’t a place to live, but sometimes it’s a place that can make you feel like everything’s going to be all right. The premise of the show is that you can lean on the arts and culture that you loved to help you find your way to a happy today.”

And with a soundtrack that includes I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll, Like A Virgin, Take On Me, If I Could Turn Back Time, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), Hit Me With Your Best Shot, Total Eclipse Of The Heart, What A Feeling, Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, and Footloose, the audience is all but guaranteed to leave with a smile on their face and a spring in their step.

“Anyone who loves music, loves dance, loves a bit of a trip down memory lane and loves the ‘80s,” is how Roz describes the ideal audience member. If that’s you and you wanna dance with somebody, tickets are now on sale.