Polly Filla

Colin McLean, aka "Polly Filla" 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 Petone, 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. "Pollyfilla", has become an icon through the years 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. "Pollyfilla" has also hosted and 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.

In 2005, mayor Kerry Prendergast described "Pollyfilla" as a "Wellington Icon", she has performed annually during Summer City festivities in Wellington and opens many LGBT themed events and exhibitions. "Pollyfilla"was, for many years, the mistress of ceremonies at the annual Wellington Gay and Lesbian Fair, and was the host of the Miss Drag Wellington: Queen of Queens Pageant several times, but never won the title. In 2006, "The Life and Times of the Divine Miss P", a "sparkly singing and dancing camp parody", starred "Pollyfilla" and a color-coded dance troupe called "The Dazzling Fillettes", played to a sell-out crowd at the BATS Theatre. For her work with the LGBT Community and her contributions to Wellington's cultural fabric, "Pollyfilla" has been honored many times over.

Moving from Wellington to Melbourne, Australia in late 2006, "Pollyfilla" obtained a starring role in one of Melbourne's leading drag troupes, "New Senastion". When "New Sensations" disbanded, she took on a starring role in the Xchange Hotels production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Following the closing of this production, "Pollyfilla" 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 60's 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.