Pollyfilla
Encyclopedia
Pollyfilla (born August 1978) is a drag artiste
originally from Wellington
, New Zealand
. The drag persona of Colin McLean, Pollyfilla through the years has become an icon not only of Wellington's Queer
community, but the wider community and New Zealand
as a whole, performing regularly at social and community events, attending LGBT rights rallies, entertaining on stage, film and television, as well as being the mainstay for drag entertainment at Wellington's popular gay venue POUND Nightclub and Bar.
She has also hosted/performed in front of thousands at the New Year's Eve celebration in Civic Square, Wellington. In June 2004 Pollyfilla and Colin McLean were featured at the Out Takes 2004 Lesbian & Gay Film Festival in a production which combined documentary footage with live performance.
, Australia
, where Pollyfilla has obtained a starring role in one of Melbourne’s leading drag troupes, “New Sensation”.
With New Sensation Disbanded, Polly took on a starring role in the Xchange Hotels production of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert.
Following the closure of this Thursday night production, Polly was offered the "Diva" role at The Commercial Hotel in Yarraville ( West Melbourne ).
Currently running Gay themed nights on Thursdays with specially selected guest performers and on Saturday nights with themed production shows.
After a successful Christmas production show at the end of 2007, Polly returned with "That 1960s Show" also featuring the talents of Ooh La Roo and Coco LeBon.
Early in 2008 Polly brought her one woman show "Pollywood" across to Melbourne at Chapel Off Chapel.
The Autumn season of "Diva Fever" saw Polly co-star with follow drag performer Missy Normous and guest performers. This production saw great success culminating with the finale show in late April adding the first male diva guest to the lineup - Elvis.
Polly's new production show "Sex and The City" (tying in with the new film in June 2008) will be showing at The Commercial Hotel during Winter with three of Melbourne's top drag performers joining Polly for what will most likely be the drag event of 2008.
, a suburb of Lower Hutt
. He attended Petone College, but dropped out before graduation, and took a job at a Wellington law firm, where he worked for two and a half years. During this time, he began to do drag, designing and sewing his own costumes because it was less expensive than buying or renting costumes. McLean is openly
gay
.
As his designs became more complex, he realized he had found his calling, and applied to Wellington Polytech, where he was accepted into a two-year Fashion Diploma course. Finding its program inconsistent, he dropped out after one year, then enrolled at Bowerman Design School six months later. He completed this program, and went on to become the floor manager for a theatrical costuming firm before leaving to work as a freelance designer and performer.
As a freelance designer, McLean has designed costumes for such shows as "Hone Koukas—Home Fires", "Awhi Tapu", and "Strata" (all produced by Taki Rua Productions), "Gravity", "The Expert", and others. McLean has appeared in drag on the television shows "The Strip" and "Good Morning
" and in the films "Stickmen" and "The Irrefutable Truth About Demons." His work as a theatrical costume designer and drag performer has been displayed at the Museum of New Zealand and The Dowse Art Museum.
Drag queen
A drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
originally from Wellington
Wellington City
Wellington City Council is a territorial authority in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Wellington city extends as far north as Linden, and includes the rural areas of Makara and Ohariu. It is New Zealand's third-largest city, behind Auckland and Christchurch.Wellington attained city status in...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The drag persona of Colin McLean, Pollyfilla through the years has become an icon not only of Wellington's Queer
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community, but the wider community and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
as a whole, performing regularly at social and community events, attending LGBT rights rallies, entertaining on stage, film and television, as well as being the mainstay for drag entertainment at Wellington's popular gay venue POUND Nightclub and Bar.
She has also hosted/performed in front of thousands at the New Year's Eve celebration in Civic Square, Wellington. In June 2004 Pollyfilla and Colin McLean were featured at the Out Takes 2004 Lesbian & Gay Film Festival in a production which combined documentary footage with live performance.
Recognition
Described as a "Wellington icon" by mayor Kerry Prendergast in 2005, Pollyfilla performed annually during the Summer City festivities in Wellington and opens many LGBT themed events and exhibitions. For several years she was the mistress of ceremonies at the annual Wellington Gay and Lesbian Fair and was frequently the host of the Miss Drag Wellington: Queen of Queens pageant. Ironically, Pollyfilla has never won the wellington title. In 2006 she starred in "The Life and Times of the Divine Miss P," described as "a sparkly, singing and dancing camp parody" with a color-coded troup of dancers called The Dazzling Fillettes. The sold-out show was held at the BATS Theatre. Pollyfilla has been honoured many times for her work for the LGBT community and her contributions to Wellington's cultural fabric.Currently
McLean moved from Wellington in late 2006, moving to MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where Pollyfilla has obtained a starring role in one of Melbourne’s leading drag troupes, “New Sensation”.
With New Sensation Disbanded, Polly took on a starring role in the Xchange Hotels production of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert.
Following the closure of this Thursday night production, Polly was offered the "Diva" role at The Commercial Hotel in Yarraville ( West Melbourne ).
Currently running Gay themed nights on Thursdays with specially selected guest performers and on Saturday nights with themed production shows.
After a successful Christmas production show at the end of 2007, Polly returned with "That 1960s Show" also featuring the talents of Ooh La Roo and Coco LeBon.
Early in 2008 Polly brought her one woman show "Pollywood" across to Melbourne at Chapel Off Chapel.
The Autumn season of "Diva Fever" saw Polly co-star with follow drag performer Missy Normous and guest performers. This production saw great success culminating with the finale show in late April adding the first male diva guest to the lineup - Elvis.
Polly's new production show "Sex and The City" (tying in with the new film in June 2008) will be showing at The Commercial Hotel during Winter with three of Melbourne's top drag performers joining Polly for what will most likely be the drag event of 2008.
Colin McLean
Colin McLean was born in Wellington in August 1978, spending the first five years of his life in Raumati South and then moving with his family to PetonePetone
Petone is a major suburb of the city of Lower Hutt in New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the narrow triangular plain of the Hutt River, on the northern shore of Wellington Harbour...
, a suburb of Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt
Lower Hutt is a city in the Wellington region of New Zealand. Its council has adopted the name Hutt City Council, but neither the New Zealand Geographic Board nor the Local Government Act recognise the name Hutt City. This alternative name can lead to confusion, as there are two cities in the...
. He attended Petone College, but dropped out before graduation, and took a job at a Wellington law firm, where he worked for two and a half years. During this time, he began to do drag, designing and sewing his own costumes because it was less expensive than buying or renting costumes. McLean is openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
.
As his designs became more complex, he realized he had found his calling, and applied to Wellington Polytech, where he was accepted into a two-year Fashion Diploma course. Finding its program inconsistent, he dropped out after one year, then enrolled at Bowerman Design School six months later. He completed this program, and went on to become the floor manager for a theatrical costuming firm before leaving to work as a freelance designer and performer.
As a freelance designer, McLean has designed costumes for such shows as "Hone Koukas—Home Fires", "Awhi Tapu", and "Strata" (all produced by Taki Rua Productions), "Gravity", "The Expert", and others. McLean has appeared in drag on the television shows "The Strip" and "Good Morning
Good Morning (New Zealand show)
Good Morning is a New Zealand morning television magazine lifestyle show. It airs weekday mornings from 9am - 12pm on TV ONE. The show began in 1996 and is hosted by Jeanette Thomas and Rod Chesseman...
" and in the films "Stickmen" and "The Irrefutable Truth About Demons." His work as a theatrical costume designer and drag performer has been displayed at the Museum of New Zealand and The Dowse Art Museum.