Scratch Night 2025: James Sweeney’s Make It Count Heads to the Stage

For the past 14 years, the Scratch Night has been a launchpad for new writing, showcasing fresh talent and producing, fittingly, 14 brand new plays (well, 13 and one in the making now). This month’s event saw a clear winner: James Sweeney, whose play Make It Count captured the audience and judges alike, winning by a landslide. With the play now set to be developed into a full production in June 2026, we sat down with James to learn more about his journey, his writing, and his experience with the Writers Workshop.

Have you been writing before the Writers Workshop, and if yes, what kind of work have you done before this project? If no, had you any interest in writing?

My only experience before attending this workshop was in writing screenplays (films). I’m self-taught and have recently finished my first screenplay, titled Life Debt. To gauge my potential as a screenwriter, I submitted my work to several international competitions. Since I didn’t have any industry connections at the time, it was the only way to receive objective, unbiased feedback. I was thrilled when Life Debt won Best Thriller at the ‘New York Script Awards’ in August. I was also honoured to be invited to join the Pinewood Studios ‘Writer’s Lift-Off Global Network’. These achievements really galvanised my passion for becoming a screenwriter.

What drew you to take part in the 2025 Writers Workshop at the Louth Riverhead Theatre?

My wife noticed the Writers Workshop on the Louth Riverhead Theatre’s website and suggested I sign up. At the time, I was focused entirely on screenwriting, but the course covered stage, film, radio and TV scripts, so I thought it would be interesting to learn about other mediums. I didn’t expect to fall in love with writing for the stage — but I absolutely did.

What was your experience like in the workshop led by John Hewer?

Honestly, it was fantastic from start to finish. When I found out that John wasn’t just a writer but also a director, producer and actor, it felt like striking gold. He brought such a wide-ranging perspective to the sessions.

He made all of us feel valued, gave everyone equal time, and was incredibly generous with his insights. Each session was fun, thought-provoking and practical. The £80 fee was incredible value.

There was a great group of writers on the course. We’re all very different people, I doubt our paths would’ve crossed outside of the course, but we all share a love of storytelling. The support and encouragement from the group was also very valuable. It was a joy to be a part of.

Was there a particular piece of advice, exercise, or moment from the workshop that really stayed with you?

Yes, two in particular.

One was a dialogue exercise. We were asked to write a short break-up scene, using only dialogue. After 15 minutes, John told us to rewrite it, but this time, no line could be longer than three words. The idea was to say more with less. It was like a eureka moment. I went home that evening and immediately began trimming Life Debt, and it’s so much sharper as a result.

The other was a genre exercise. We had to draw a random genre out of a hat and write a short scene from Little Red Riding Hood in that style. I drew “Horror” and went all in, gruesome, gory, unfilmable... but I added a joke about the wolf having tasted mutton (grandma) and now wanting to taste lamb. Despite the horror, everyone laughed.

That exercise taught me something crucial about my writing, I was able to explore heavy or dark themes and use humour to keep an audience engaged. That lesson directly shaped Make It Count.

What have you found you enjoy most about writing?

Before this workshop, my writing was geared towards the action-thriller genre, which would be difficult to translate to the stage. So, when I had to come up with a stage play for Scratch Night, I really had to think outside my box, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed stage writing.

And what do you find the most challenging aspect of writing?

The most challenging part is cutting something you’re proud of when it doesn’t serve the story. John gave us some great advice about this: if it doesn’t move your character or the story forward, it doesn’t belong in the script.

What was it like preparing for scratch night? Nerves, excitement, or perhaps both?

I was excited about Scratch Night, but it became “real” during the afternoon run-through with the actors. They were just amazing, bringing my script to life, and after seeing them perform it that afternoon, I didn’t feel nervous because in my opinion, they nailed it. I just hoped the audience would enjoy it.

Can you describe what was going through your mind while your piece was being performed/read?

I was in awe. These actors had to juggle six different plays, and they were amazing. Mine was third in the lineup, and I was relieved and genuinely delighted as I watched it being performed.

Make It Count opens with something heavy, then transitions into dark comedy, and it depended heavily on all three actors nailing the comic timing, which they did with aplomb. They built on what I had written and elevated it.

Huge thanks to the actors Laura, Daniel and Jack and Director John, together they brought my writing to life in a way that will stay with me forever.

Could you give us a little insight into the show you’re writing, what’s it about, and what themes or questions does it explore?

Here’s the introduction for those who didn’t attend Scratch Night:

“What if you died… and got one chance to win the love of your life all over again?”
When Jonas suddenly dies, he wakes in the afterlife, face-to-face with a biscuit-obsessed grim reaper stand-in who’s clearly chalked off the wrong name. Jonas wasn’t meant to go.

Given one shot to return, he’s sent back to his first date with Lily in 2009. The catch? She doesn’t know him yet.

Basically, the theme of this play is: “If you had a chance to re-live part of your life, would you be able to resist the temptation to meddle?” And if not, what knock-on effects would your meddling have?

I’ve always loved stories that play with fate, It’s a Wonderful Life, Groundhog Day, The Butterfly Effect, Sliding Doors, The Family Man, Back to the Future, anything that explores alternate outcomes or the consequences of our choices.

How are you feeling about now fully developing this script to be performed next year?

Excited, and incredibly grateful. The Scratch Night proved the idea works. Now I can build on that with more time, more polish, and more collaboration.

More than anything, I just want to make something worthwhile, something that rewards the time, money, and trust that people give when they show up to see a new play. It’s a privilege to be in this position. I’d like to thank John Hewer, Louth Riverhead Theatre, the actors, my classmates and everybody else involved in making this happen. I’m so grateful for the opportunity and I hope everybody enjoys the play when it’s performed next June.