The genius behind We Can Be Heroes, Angry Boys and Summer Heights High has finally revealed his new show, Private School Girl.
What’s that I hear you say? You haven’t heard of any of these shows? That’s because they were all made in Australia, by Australian Chris Lilley. And we all thought Neighbours was the only TV show produced in that far away land.
Each of these TV series is filmed as a mockumentary. There are several characters whose lives are focused on and each one of these main characters are played by Chris Lilley. And Chris Lilley is fucking epic at acting.
Now this isn’t some Jack and Jill or Norbit situation where he wears a fat suit and/or make-up and acts like bad theatre actor at improv. His characters are intricate, with their own mannerisms and distinct personalities. Throughout his career, he’s played an unruly set of twins (one deaf, both dicks), a middle-aged woman who rolls around everywhere, a flamboyant, self-obsessed drama teacher, a troubled Tongan bully, a sellout “hip-hop” artist, a Japanese mother who incorrectly and obsessively markets her skateboarder son as gay and a teenage girl who embodies the word “bitch”.
Chris Lilley may also be one of the greatest writers of realistic dialogue that I have ever seen. If you watch an episode, you’ll notice that every actor delivers their lines so naturally and so perfectly. I don’t know if the casting is impeccable or if Lilley’s writing just cannot be poorly acted.
I’m not exaggerating. They probably talk more realistically than you do. It’s that well done.
Ok now, back to this new show he’s releasing. It centres around the aforementioned teenage girl named Ja’mie (pronounced JA-MAY), who has appeared in two of his TV shows so far as a central character. He hasn’t really given much other information and says he’d rather the fans enjoy the surprise. Honestly, I just think he’s more comfortable communicating to the masses through something other than his own skin. Maybe he has the most fun case of multiple personality disorder.
Just watched one clip of this show and I guarantee you will make laughter sounds.
Life in a Television Show 