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Chris Lilley is a 'human stealth bomber', says director
News.com.au | October 14, 2007

By Alyssa Braithwaite

Comedian Chris Lilley is like a "human stealth bomber" who goes behind enemy lines in the community to gather material for his hit television shows, award-winning director Matt Saville says.

Lilley today was accused of stealing ideas and characters for his controversial new ABC television series Summer Heights High - a mockumentary-style show set in a suburban high school in which Lilley, the program's writer, plays multiple characters.

Victorian teacher Michael Reed said Lilley's character Mr G was ripped off a Network Ten show he helped write in 2000 called Sit Down, Shut Up, News Ltd reported.

But Saville, who directed Lilley's previous series We Can Be Heroes, said Lilley was a comic genius and master of observational humour.

He said Lilley would improvise material for four-and-a-half hours of filming each day.

"You cannot underestimate Chris' genius," Saville told an Australian Directors Guild (ADG) conference in Sydney today.

"It was all scripted and the scripts were beautiful, but Chris wanted to improvise it all.

"I felt like my job as director was almost like Chris created the universe and I recorded it for him."

Saville, who last night won an ADG award for outstanding achievement in feature film for Noise, said Lilley was a master at observing people undetected.

"He likes to keep a low profile because his is an observational style of humour - he has to work behind enemy lines," he said.

"He would make a really good spy.

"He can kind of walk into a room and be standing there for 10 minutes and then someone will be like: 'Oh Chris, there you are'. He is like a human stealth bomber."

Saville said Lilley was a very private person and wanted his characters to speak for themselves.

"I'm constantly getting phone calls from people wanting to get a sound byte about Chris," Saville said.

"His profile is going through the roof because of the show (Summer Heights High), but he is intensely private.

"That's partly because of who Chris is and his temperament and I think it's also partly because Chris wants the characters to be what goes out into the world, and not Chris Lilley.

"If everyone gets to know Chris Lilley it will be harder for him to present these other manifestations that he does so brilliantly."

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