person or book cover
Courtesy of the National Library of Australia
Nellie Kolle Nellie Kolle i(A107769 works by) (birth name: Nellie Frances Colley)
Born: Established: ca. 1892
c
England,
c
c
United Kingdom (UK),
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Western Europe, Europe,
;
Gender: Female
Arrived in Australia: 1912
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BiographyHistory

English-born variety performer.

A specialist singer/male impersonator (including principal boy roles in pantomime), pianist, and descriptive vocalist, Nellie Kolle first toured Australia in 1912 for the Brennan-Fuller organisation and returned on several occasions over the next few years before settling in the country on a more permanent basis.

Kolle was associated with a number of other managements during her early tours of Australia, including J. C. Bain, Dix-Baker (Newcastle), Holland and St John (Brisbane), and Graham and Howard (Sydney). Between 1916 and the early 1920s, she worked almost exclusively for Fullers' Theatres Ltd in Australia and New Zealand, establishing herself as not only one of that firm's leading pantomime principal boys, but also as one of the most popular female performers working on the Australian variety stage.

From 1922 onwards, Kolle secured regular engagements with other leading variety companies, including Harry Clay's Sydney and NSW operations. During the mid-1920s, she toured her own vaudeville show around Australia, playing many country centres, including those of Western Australia. In 1927, she toured Queensland as headline act for Clay's Bridge Theatre Ltd, and remained on that circuit over the next year or so. Kolle continued performing in pantomimes over this period, including the 1928-1929 O'Donnell and Ray production of Beauty and the Beast, and in revue, including the Bert Ray Revue Company (ca. 1929). She is also believed to have maintained her presence on the variety stage in Australia up until at least the 1940s.

Most Referenced Works

Notes

  • SONGS:

    The following list comprises published songs known to have been featured by Nellie Kolle:

  • RECORDINGS:

    The following recordings are available commercially and/or through various Australian libraries.

    Compilations (compact disks):

      • Stars of the Australian Stage and Radio: Volume 1. Larrikin, CD, LRH 429. [Series: Warren Faye Presents Yesterday's Australia] ('Tell Them That You're a Londoner').

  • Entries connected with this record have been sourced from on-going historical research into Australian-written music theatre and film being conducted by Dr Clay Djubal.
Last amended 11 Nov 2011 09:57:52
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