Pollyfilla

Colin McLean, known by her stage name Pollyfilla (born August 1978 ) is a New Zealand drag queen.

She has hosted or 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. The sold-out show was held at the BATS Theatre.

As his designs became more complex, he applied to Wellington Polytechnic, where he was accepted into a two-year Fashion Diploma course. Finding its program inconsistent, he dropped out after one year, then enrolled at a government funded private training establishment (PTE) Bowerman School of Design six months later. He completed this program (although private, courses are taxpayer funded, elementary level) and went on to become a retail assistant for a fancy dress shop 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.