Edward af Sillén

Edward af Sillén (born 25 September 1982) is a Swedish screenwriter and director for stage, film and TV. He has translated and directed numerous successful theatre shows including Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare, The Drowsy Chaperone, Bull and Cock by Mike Bartlett,

Af Sillén has worked on Melodifestivalen and the Eurovision Song Contest as a director, commentator and screenwriter, including in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 where he wrote and directed the interval act "Love Love Peace Peace" with Fredrik Kempe. Following on from writing his first film Medicinen, his second writing Holy Mess became the biggest Swedish film of 2015. In 2019, he directed A Piece of My Heart, a jukebox musical film based on the music of Tomas Ledin and starring Malin Akerman, which was nominated for an Audience Award at the Guldbagge Awards.

Career

Edward started his career as an actor. Performing both at the Lorensbergsteatern and Stockholm National Theatre. Aged 18, he did stand-up comedy. Hungry to work in the creative side of entertainment and theatre, he knew he could get his foot in the door as an actor.

Film 2014 saw Af Sillén write his first feature film Medicinen. Based on the 2009 book of the same name, written by Hans Koppel (pseudonym Petter Lidbeck). The book was reworked into a screenplay by Af Sillén and his writing partner Daniel Réhn. An all-star cast including Ewa Fröling and Maria Lundqvist, was led by Helena Bergström.

Af Sillén’s second film was the Swedish comedy Holy Mess, again written with Daniel Réhn and starring Robert Gustafsson, Maria Lundqvist and Helena Bergström. Seen by 77,736 people during its premiere weekend, it broke records with the biggest opening for a Swedish film in 2015. It went on to become the most popular Swedish film of 2015, The film won Film of the Year at the QX Gaygala 2016.

In December 2019, Af Sillén directed his third and biggest feature film, A Piece of My Heart, a jukebox musical based on the music of Tomas Ledin. The film stars Malin Akerman as Isabella, a lead business woman in the financial district of Stockholm, who returns home to celebrate her father's birthday.

Theatre Af Sillén’s theatrical work includes Swedish translations of Steel Magnolias, Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein, Rock of Ages and The Ladykillers. He directed Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, the play V.D. and the musical Hair at Stockholm’s National Theatre. His direction of Priscilla the Musical was followed by his translation and direction of the Tony Award winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone in 2015. That same year Af Sillén directed. as well as translated the plays Rumors and the Laurence Olivier Award winner Cock.

Af Sillén has written and directed national tours for major Swedish artists such as Tomas Ledin, Ola Salo and Peter Jöback. He teamed up with Alcazar to create their first full production concert. Disco Defenders was a greatest hits residency which début in the Rondo at Lisberg, Gothenburg Summer 2015. The production moved to Hamburger Börs, Stockholm in Winter 2015. After another sell out run, the group took the show on a national tour then returned to Hamburger Börs in 2016.

Television 2004 brought Af Sillén's screenwriting breakthrough with the script for host Maria Lundqvist at the Guldbagge Awards, the Swedish equivalent of the Academy Awards. He returned in 2007 not only as Sissela Kyle’s scriptwriter, but as director of the show live on SVT.

Af Sillén was recruited by Melodifestivalen supervisor Christer Björkman to write and direct the 2009 edition. His mix of humour, music and sparkle saw him return in 2010, 2012 and 2013. To boost declining viewer figures, Af Sillén was hired as a consultant for the 2019 edition.

A lifelong lover of the Eurovision Song Contest, Af Sillén became the Swedish commentator for SVT in 2009. The following year he wrote the script for his first contest in 2010. The interval act "Love Love Peace Peace", written by Af Sillén and performed by presenters Petra Mede and Måns Zelmerlöw during the final of the 2016 contest, became a highlight of the show. The Independent named it the "ultimate interval act, somehow even upstaging Justin Timberlake himself". Buzzfeed commented that the presenters were the "best thing about this year's contest". Af Sillén also wrote the script for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö.

In 2021, Af Sillén served as a judge on the 11th and 12th series of TV4's Talang, the Swedish version of the Got Talent franchise.

Personal life Edward af Sillén is openly gay. Born in Brazil he was adopted by a Swedish father and an American mother.

Work Film Year Title Role 2014 Medicinen Screenwriter 2015 En underbar jävla jul Screenwriter 2019 En del av mitt hjärta Director 2023 Ett sista race Director and screenwriter

Theatre

Year Title Role Note 2005–2018 QX Gaygala Writer 2006–2010 R.E.A. Writer Hamburger Börs 2006 Det är jul igen by Maria Möller Director and writer Intiman 2008 Blommor av stål (Steel Magnolias) Translator Vasateatern 2011 Tomas Ledin Showtime Director and writer Rondo (Gothenburg), Cirkus (Stockholm) and national tour 2011 Trettondagsafton (Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare) Director Stockholms Stadsteater 2011 Hair Director Stockholms Stadsteater 2012 I Love Musicals by Peter Jöback Director and writer National tour 2013 Arnould (Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein) Translator Stockholms Stadsteater 2013 Rock of Ages Translator China Teatern 2013 Priscilla, Queen of the Desert the Musical Director Göta Lejon 2014 V.D. Director Stockholms Stadsteater 2014 Alcazar Disco Defenders Director and writer Rondo (Gothenburg), Hamburger Börs (Stockholm) and national tour 2015 Förklädet (The Drowsy Chaperone) Director and translator Göta Lejon 2015 Skvaller (Rumors) Director and translator Uppsala Stadsteater 2015 Cockfight (Cock) Director and translator Stockholms Stadsteater 2015 Ladykillers Translator Oscarsteatern 2016 Rakt ner i fickan (Cash on Delivery by Michael Cooney) Director and translator Krusenstiernska Teatern 2017 Bull Director and translator Kulturhuset Stadsteatern 2017 Shirley Valentine Director and translator Maximteatern 2018 Så som i himmelen Co-writer Oscarsteatern and Copenhagen Opera House 2019 Ola Salo - It Takes a Fool to Remain Sane Director Rondo (Gothenburg) 2019 Häxorna i Eastwick (The Witches of Eastwick) Director and translator Cirkus (Stockholm) 2019 Art by Yasmina Reza Director and translator Hotel Rival (Stockholm) 2019 Trassel (Out of Order) by Ray Cooney Director and translator Krusenstiernska gården (Stockholm) 2020 Pernilla Wahlgren har Hybris Director and writer Hotel Rival (Stockholm) and National Tour 2020 Tomten och Bocken (starring Måns Zelmerlöw and Per Andersson) Director Hamburger Börs (Stockholm) 2021 Pappor på prov (It Runs in the Family) by Ray Cooney Director and translator Krusenstiernska gården (Stockholm) 2022 Brynolf & Ljung Stalker Director Hotel Rival (Stockholm), National Tour and New World Stages 2022 Tootsie Director Oscarsteatern 2023 Peter Pan Goes Wrong Director Cirkus 2023 Änglagård (House of Angels) Co-writer and director Oscarsteatern

Television

Production credits

Eurovision Song Contest commentary

Year Co-commentator Shirley Clamp Christine Meltzer Gina Dirawi Malin Olsson Sanna Nielsen Måns Zelmerlöw Sanna Nielsen Charlotte Perrelli Christer Björkman Linnea Henriksson Måns Zelmerlöw Tina Mehrafzoon Petra Mede

Accolades

Melodifestivalen Year Award 2024 Hall of Fame

Guldbagge Awards Year Award Result 2020 Guldbaggens publikpris (Audience Award) for A Piece of My Heart

QX Gaygala Year Award Result 2014 TV of the Year for the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 2016 Film of the Year for Holy Mess, Stage of the Year for Alcazar Disco Defenders 2021 TV Star of the Year 2021 Stage of the Year for Hybris starring Pernilla Wahlgren 2024 Stage of the Year for Änglagård