Creative Director Sergio Jaen has revealed details of Cyprus’ Eurovision staging, saying the country’s artist is doing something not a lot of other performers would be able to do. 

Theo Evan is representing Cyprus in Basel next month with the song Shh, and his performance is being staged by Jaen. 

Click to read this story at a glance…

• Creative Director Sergio Jaen says Theo Evan’s performance of Shh is something that other artists might not be able to replicate
• Choreographer Borja Rueda, known for working with Ana Mena, is helping create Evan’s routine for the performance in Basel
• Jaen aims to break the typical Eurovision staging “code” with Evan’s performance
• Jaen is also staging Austria’s entry with JJ, creating a personal and emotional performance

In an exclusive interview with The Euro Trip, Jaen said: “He has so much strength because he accepted to do something that’s not easy. 

“I don’t think every artist is capable of doing what he’s going to do on stage. So that’s amazing.” 

Jaen praised choreographer Borja Rueda who has worked with superstars like Ana Mena in the past. 

Rueda is choreographing Evan’s routine for Basel, and Jaen says he is “a dream to work with” as the largely Spanish team behind the production of Cyprus’ entry build-up to Basel. 

“He has brought to life my vision and what I had in mind. It was not easy.” 

Offering more details about Evan’s Eurovision performance, Jaen said: “He obviously will be moving – there is movement on the stage.

“I can’t say much apart from that. What I can say is that it’s a type of song that is usually matched with a type of staging, a code of staging, that we’ve seen at Eurovision quite often. 

“I tried to break that a little bit. 

“That was in my mind from the very beginning when I listened to the song. 

“I wanted to break that usual Eurovision code that we’ve been seeing in the last six or seven years.” 

Jaen first received a call from Cypriot broadcaster CyBC in autumn last year, by which time he was already working hard as a creative consultant with Finnish broadcaster Yle on its Eurovision national selection show, UMK. 

He has stayed on with Yle working with Erika Vikman on her staging of Ich Komme for Basel. 

Working with JJ from Austria

Jaen is also staging one of the favourites to win the contest in May, JJ from Austria. 

He was sent the song Wasted Love by one of its co-writer’s Teya earlier this year and instantly knew what he wanted to create. 

“It was a very fast process with the song. 

“I listened to it once or twice and I just really felt it. 

“There was something about it that I really connected with. The first ideas came on very, very fast. It was also a very fast turnaround. 

“I’m so happy Teya, JJ and the whole team trusted me for this.” 

“I have created something very personal to JJ with a lot of emotion. It’s going to be pure emotion, focus on the song, focus on JJ.”