Katie Payne and DJ ONAI of; ‘My Mix(ed up) Tape’ sit down for a Chat

Dirty Protest, in partnership with RCT Theatres and Grand Ambition, are bringing a bold new production to Welsh audiences: My Mix(ed up) Tape, a riotous, heartfelt and fiercely authentic story powered by live beats, brutal honesty and a deep love for the Valleys.

Written and performed by Katie Payne — winner of the Stage Debut Award for MUMFIGHTER and known for Crow Girl (Paramount) — the show blends theatre, comedy, character work and live DJing from DJ ONAI, under the direction of acclaimed director Stef O’Driscoll.

Edited Transcription and Full Audio Conversation Below

It’s a full‑throttle, funny and emotionally charged play that challenges stereotypes of working‑class women, celebrates Valleys culture, and asks what it really means to belong.

Ahead of the show’s run, we sat down with Katie and DJ ONAI to talk about weddings, working men’s clubs, female anger, representation — and why this story could only have been written by someone who grew up in the Valleys.

“It’s a love letter to the Valleys.” — A Conversation with Katie Payne and DJ ONAI

For anyone new to the show Katie, how would you describe My Mix(ed up) Tape?

Katie: It’s written and performed by me, and it’s a love letter to the Valleys. It deals with ADHD, female anger, working‑class identity, bullying — all while challenging stereotypes about working‑class women. And it’s a comedy… well, air‑quotes comedy. It’s funny, I promise! We’ve also got a live DJ spinning through the whole thing — DJ ONAI, who’s fantastic and fresh from Ireland.

Tell us about Phoebe, the character at the centre of the play.

Katie: Phoebe has a lot of anger issues. When we meet her, she’s already been thrown out of a wedding by a bouncer — who even has a bouncer at their wedding? It’s set in a working men’s club, so that tells you everything. She’s trying to get back in, and on the surface she’s funny and trying to make you like her, but underneath there’s a lot going on.

Something bad has happened before she arrives at the wedding, and the play slowly unravels what that is. It’s a reckoning — she’s figuring out who she is, where she belongs, and what she’s running from.

And the DJ isn’t just a DJ, right?

Katie: No — the DJ is the wedding DJ, but also her conscience.

DJ ONAI: We use tricks like rewinding tracks or distorting music to infiltrate her thoughts in real time.

Katie: And it’s all done live, so our timing has to be slick. No pressure!

This is your writing debut. How did you approach telling this story?

Katie: I grew up in Pontypridd. My whole family is from the Valleys. Representation is really important to me. When I moved to London, I felt like I didn’t have the tools to be what people expected. I knew the Valleys — that’s what I understood deeply.

I’d get a line here, a small part there, but nothing felt deep enough. So I started writing because I needed to express more than what I was being offered. And honestly, I didn’t see enough women like the ones I grew up with on stage — not authentically, anyway. Too often, London writes about us without really knowing us.

So I wrote it myself. I wanted a DJ in it — people thought I was mad — but I wanted to blend art forms. The show jumps through memories, from 1998 to 2002, and Phoebe is forced to tell the truth. It came from a need for representation, but also a need for me to feel it and play it.

Where can audiences see the show?

Katie: We’re at Park & Dare, then Sherman Theatre, Ffwrnes, Theatr Clwyd and Theatr Mwldan. And we’re taking it to Duffy’s Working Men’s Club — where it’s set — for one night only. That’s going to be wild.

ONAI, this is your first time doing theatre. How’s the process been?

DJ ONAI: Completely new! Usually I play music to make people feel something, but now I’m finding tracks that match the text. It’s made me think about music differently. And yes — I’m living in the Valleys now. I’m a Valleys girl.

Katie: Indoctrinated! [laughing]

Katie, you’ve spoken about wanting young people to see themselves on stage.

Katie: Absolutely. Valleys kids see pantos and musicals, but not much new writing. I had to go to London to see work like this — I want to bring it to them instead.

When we first developed the show, we invited young people from Valleys Kids and SPARK to rehearsals. It inspired them. Hannah Lad — who you’ve covered — came to see us, and now she’s written her own show and put it on tour. That’s what representation does. If you can see yourself reflected, you can believe you can do it.

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My Mix(ed up) Tape is a funny, furious and deeply human story about identity, belonging and the messy business of growing up in a place that shapes you — whether you like it or not.

With a powerhouse performance from Katie Payne, live beats from DJ ONAI, and direction from Stef O’Driscoll, it’s set to be one of the most exciting new Welsh productions of the year.

I’m expecting bangers, belly laughs, heart and to see the Valleys represented with honesty, grit and love. And after this Chat; I know it’ll be a great one. Come see it with Us!

Listen to the Full Conversation Below: