From Mateo’s Roots to Jack’s Runway

If charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent were a chat, this would be it.

Today I am beyond excited to welcome Out in Ōtautahi’s very first ever guest and trust me, we’re kicking things off with a bang (and a whole lot of sequins). She’s fierce, funny, and serving fashion at all times. If you attended any Pride events in Ōtautahi over the month of March, chances are you were either living for her performance, dancing in her spotlight, or caught mid-cheer as she effortlessly stole the show. I’m talking about the one and only Mateo aka Jack (The Entertainer) Swallows!

Who are they?

Meet Mateo (he/they), also known on stage as the dazzling Jack Swallows (they/them in drag). Hailing from the seaside suburb of Spencerville, just outside of Christchurch, Mateo began their performance journey in 2018 with the Nelson Showgirl Academy. Burlesque was their first love — a space that offered freedom, self-expression, and a whole lot of glitter. While drag brings a similar sense of joy and liberation, burlesque will always hold that number one spot in their heart. Whether on stage or off, Mateo brings a bold blend of artistry, authenticity, and flair to everything they do.

What is one thing about Ōtautahi's queer scene that you love?

"I think my favorite thing is something that performers from out of town have actually said a couple of times in the past — that we're such a tight-knit community. People from out of town can really see just how much work goes into it for us, because we don't have that dedicated space, so we have to work twice as hard to find those spaces and put things on in them. So I think that would probably be my favorite thing."

What is one thing you think Ōtautahi's queer scene is missing?

"A space that we can all gather!"

Can you share a moment that you feel really shaped who you are today?

"I mean, there's lots of things, really. I'd probably say losing my best friend, actually. That was probably one of the biggest life-changing things for me. It shakes you up, and you sort of just start becoming a lot more aware — of people, of things, of yourself."

Have you ever had to turn away business due to any sign of driscrimination?

"I have turned down business before. I don't go to places where I'm not going to feel safe. Someone once tried to book me for a performance at a local bar, for example, and I said, 'No, thank you,' because it just wasn't a place I was going to feel comfortable in."

What does being queer mean to you?

"I think it's just freedom — you're just living as yourself. You're not doing anything to please other people; you're just existing for yourself."

What was your journey of coming out like?

"It was pretty fine, actually! My mum was quite accepting. My dad was a bit weird about it — obviously, he was a farmer boy from the West Coast. But no, it was fine — I came out when I was 16."

What is your current guilty pleasure?

"Probably copious amounts of tattoos. Legitimately, I think I've gained... *counts* like six tattoos this year so far!"

(I can confirm — Mateo was telling me when I arrived that he'd just been sitting for six hours getting a new tattoo that day!)

What is your go to coffee order and what do you think it says about you?

"Depends on the day — sometimes it's an oat milk iced latte, and sometimes it's an oat milk latte. What does it say about me? I don't really know. I can drink normal milk — oat milk is just delicious. I only became aware of oat milk because of my partner Nate, and I was like, 'This is tasty, I like this!'"

What is your love language and how do you show it in your everyday life?

"My love language is gift giving, touch, and words of affirmation — I've got quite a few. I'm a very huggy person, I love to give things to people, and I just try to boost people up, basically. I just like seeing people happy and excited about something new!"

If you could travel anywhere right now where would you go and why?

(Let it be known that Mateo answered this before I could even finish the question! A queen knows what a queen wants!)

"Japan. For the shopping, I want to hit up the second-hand designer stores because they have a great second-hand designer market over there. And because they have a law against fakes, you get really good deals on real products. It's completely illegal to deal in and/or have fake counterfeit designer items in Japan, so you're pretty secure in what you're buying over there. But also, arcades!"



If you could collaborate with anyone in the world who would it be and why?

"At the moment, Doechii — because Doechii is incredible. I have this wild fantasy of just getting very good at performing Doechii songs and getting her attention, then travelling across the world to perform with her — because what a dream! Wild, wild fantasies..."

(If you were at the CHCH Pride closing party, you’ll have witnessed pure greatness when Jack Swallows did a number to 'Alter Ego' by Doechii... phenomenal!)

What is the haus of swallows?

"The Haus of Swallows is a family of just weird, queer people who I get along with more than anyone else in the world.

The reason why we have Hauses is that back in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, queer people really had to come together — specifically the Latin and African American trans community. They came together to perform in balls over in Harlem, in America, and a lot of them were working the streets to make money because they couldn’t get jobs. But what they would do is live together and create little families. They’d live together, protect each other, perform with each other, and just look after each other.

That’s also where the term 'chosen family' comes into play — it’s the idea that you can choose your family, and in this case, it was their chosen family.

Since then, it’s obviously evolved — you’ve got houses in the Vogue ballroom world, houses in the drag world — they sort of intertwine, but they’re also their own separate thing."

How many drag children do you have?

"Oooh, that's a great question... I think like 11 or 12. We're a big family, and again, it goes back to having to find your own space in a city like this. You just get your group, get together, and just look out for each other, basically."

What does it mean to you to be a drag mother to all these drag children?

"It means a lot, really. When I first moved back to Christchurch, I sort of came into a very broken scene. People didn’t really get along — everyone was in their own pockets, and it wasn’t really fun. I kind of avoided the drag scene for a little bit because it was just a bit messy.

Then I saw how much impact you can have on someone, and I guess that’s how it all formed — I just started connecting with people. Even though I didn’t have the most experience in the world, I was taught a lot of great things about performing from my burlesque mother, Jasmine Tease, up in Nelson.

And I was just like, let’s try and give some of this knowledge to people. I’m doing pretty okay for myself, and I’m getting better — so let’s try and help other people, and let’s just build a decent community here."

what are the biggest struggles that queens are still facing today?

"I mean obviously homophobia and transphobia. Yeah just dealing with people that can't handle the fact that different people exist."

What's one misconception about drag that you wish more people understood?

"That, for some reason, we have an interest in children. I hate children — children are awful. I'm so sorry, children, but no thanks! We don't want to corrupt your children at all. We don't care about your children at all. We're just living our own lives, trying to be positive, spread positivity, and teach people how to actually be kind."

"And yes, I did say I hate children. Deal with it."

Who are your biggest inspirations in the drag world?

"If we're going to go for the wholesome answer probably the performers here in Otautahi because everyone just puts in so much work. As far as my tops of all time, if we're going mainstream I'd say people like Lexi Love on the current season of RuPaul's Drag Race, Obsessed! The fashion, the personality just everything about her is *mwah* chefs kiss! I also like people like Sasha Velour, I like people who are fashionable weirdos who just do what they want they don't do it like other people they don't do it for other people they just do it for themselves."

What was your most memorable moment you've had while performing?

"Probably having rose petals falling down around me while I performed on the staircase of the Art Gallery — that was pretty insane. I organized it to happen while I performed on the big marble staircase at the gallery. I just slowly descended the stairs in my ginormous red outfit, and then I stopped at the final platform. That’s when the rose petals started falling down around me. I think it was petals from, like, fifty roses, just slowly dropped onto me."

What's your favourite part of the process of getting into drag?

"Getting out of it. My motto is as soon as the money stops the drag comes off, unless I want to stay in it of course. But the moment I've done what I'm needed for and what I've been paid to be there for it comes off. Comfort is key!"

What's one wild or hilarious backstage story you can share?

"I will say one of the wildest was, funnily enough, when I was performing at the Art Gallery and Tony Chestnut was also one of the performers. Tony Chestnut hosted a quiz night at The Good Times Comedy Club, and for extra points, you could do a shoey. So Tony did a shoey with some of the quiz participants — and then completely forgot about it.

His shoes, I think, were just sitting inside a bag for a couple of weeks. So when he pulled them out at the Art Gallery, this smell suddenly wafted over everybody who was getting ready. We were all running around trying to figure out where the smell was coming from — and then Tony eventually said, “Oh my god, it’s my shoe! I forgot I put beer in there and drank out of it.”

So that’s probably one of the wildest ones! Thanks, Tony Chestnut!"

If Jack Swallows had a theme song what would it be?

"That's a great question, there's a lot of great songs. I would probably say Level Up by Ciera because I'm always trying to level up, always trying to hit it and just be as good as I possible can!"

How did you come up with the name jack swallows?

"I actually said it as a joke when I first started performing in burlesque. I think it was 2018 when I got bestowed the name. I had studied with the Nelson Showgirl Academy that year to become a performer — I did their burlesque class, and the student showcase was coming up where we performed the dance we’d learned, plus some little solo bits for the show.

We did the first number as a group with the class, which was fun, and then there was an afterparty where we could dress up — and if we wanted to try our hand at performing, we could. So, I dressed up as a pirate and made this joke like, “Hahaha, Jack Swallows,” as a piss-take of Jack Sparrow.

And my burlesque mother, Jasmine Tease, said, “Why is that not your name? That is hilarious. That is your name now.”"

What would you say to little mateo if they walked through the door right now?

"I would say that you have become the person you dreamed you were going to become — not necessarily how you expected, but the person that older Mateo is now is the person you dreamed about being. And there's just extra goodness when it comes to the drag side."

What is one thing you hope people can take away from this interview?

"That's a great question. I would say maybe the complexity — not only of myself, but of other performers as well. Like, when you look at a performer, you're like, Oh my god, they wear these glamorous costumes and do all these fun things, and it's such an exciting life. But we're also just people.

Like, I wear crazy, colorful clothing as Jack Swallows, but Mateo very much prefers to wear black and white clothes. I'm a lot more chill — very much sort of ambiverted. Sometimes I'm super excited, and sometimes I just want to find some time for myself.

There's just such complexity when it comes to us performers. Every little snippet you see is just a small portion of who I am."