James Sweeney

Award-Winning British Playwright & Screenwriter

Make It Count - 2 Minute Promo

About James:

James Sweeney is the writer of Make It Count (MIC), a 90-minute, three-character comedy-drama that received a sold-out three-night premiere run. This followed a staged reading in London during May 2026.A staged reading of MIC will take place at Langham Court Theatre in Victoria, Canada, on September 12th 2026.There will also be a reading at Copenhagen Theatre Circle, Denmark, on October 14th 2026.A full production of MIC will take place in Hungary during February 2027-March 2027, with the Budapest English Theatre.James was selected for New Perspectives’ 2026/27 New Associates programme and is developing his next stage play, The Last Next Time. He also writes for film and television, creating bold, emotionally layered work with elements of black humour.For script requests, production, performance and rights enquiries, representation, or other professional correspondence, please use the contact form at the bottom of the website.

Forthcoming Shows:

MIC - Staged reading — Langham Court Theatre, Victoria, Canada — 12 September 2026

MIC - Reading — Copenhagen Theatre Circle, Denmark — 14 October 2026

MIC - Production — Budapest English Theatre, Budapest, Hungary — February 2027 - March 2027

Reviews From Make It Count's Sold-Out Debut Run:

Review Culture"I cannot recommend this feelgood story enough."
Andy Evans

★★★★ - Theatre Village“What stood out was the strength of the script. The jokes land naturally and never feel forced. I enjoyed it immensely.”
Theatre Village

★★★★ - East Midlands Theatre“I would recommend attending future performances of this play, which it deserves beyond this limited run.”
Jayne Fletcher-Tomlinson

★★★★ - Lou Reviews“Funny, perceptive, and extremely well-written, with characters who really feel well drawn. "
"Make It Count is a clever play that deserves more exposure.”
Louise Penn

Completed Works:

  • STAGE PLAY - MAKE IT COUNT: when a man dies by mistake, he is given the chance to relive the last sixteen years of his marriage — while his wife remembers none of it. Armed with knowledge of the future, he tries to perfect their life together, only to discover that every attempt to control it drives them further apart. Guided by the Grim Reaper’s well-meaning but inexperienced stand-in, he is forced to confront the damage he’s done.

  • STAGE PLAY - THE LAST NEXT TIME: a man repeatedly relives the same twenty-year relationship in an attempt to save his dying wife, only to discover that he may be the person causing the harm. He must choose between the past he is addicted to and the woman he cannot live without.

  • FILM - LIFE DEBT: A traumatised ex-soldier coerced into causing a deadly coach crash joins forces with a compromised detective to expose the shadowy network controlling them both.

  • TV PILOT - KATE: Haunted by her past in Moscow, an ex-spy is drawn into the world of a powerful British family and tasked with retrieving stolen diaries that could ignite a geopolitical crisis.

  • FILM - ONE MORE YEAR: 10 years after KATE the TV Pilot, the story picks up with Kate being sucked back into the world she has worked so hard to avoid when her daughter goes missing.

  • FILM - ARK: A man is sent back to 2001 with a divine mission: protect a brilliant young physicist and escort her to a godlike being on the Moon to prevent Earth’s collapse. But every choice he makes in the past risks dooming the future he’s trying to save.

Recent Theatre News:

  • Make It Count - Forthcoming - Full production at Budapest English Theatre - February 2027- March 2027

  • Make It Count - Forthcoming - Reading at Copenhagen Theatre Circle (Denmark) - 14 October 2026

  • Make It Count - Forthcoming - Staged Reading at Langham Court Theatre (Victoria, Canada) - 12 September 2026

  • Make It Count - SOLD OUT RUN - Full production at Louth Riverhead Theatre - 18-20 June 2026

  • Make It Count - Staged Reading, took place at The Bridge House Theatre (London, England) - 10 May 2026

  • James Sweeney - Invited to be a Judge for Best Script Awards - 2026

  • James Sweeney - Selected by New Perspectives as a New Associate - April 2026

  • Make It Count - Winner - Best Stage Play - Best Script Awards - 2026 (International)

  • Make It Count - Winner - Scratch Night - Louth Riverhead Theatre - September 2025

Interviews:

East Midlands Theatre - Interview – Make It Count – May 26

Lincolnshire World - Director/Producer Interview – Make It Count – May 26

LouReviews - Interview – Make It Count – Apr 26

Beyond the Curtain - Interview – Make It Count – Mar 26

Previews:

Debra Hall Creative - Preview – Make It Count – May 26

Theatre Village - Preview – Make It Count – Apr 26

Hull Is This Article - Preview – Make It Count – Mar 26

Lincolnshire World - Preview – Make It Count – Mar 26

Recent Screenplay News:

  • Life Debt - Winner - Best Thriller at the New York Script Awards - 2025

  • Life Debt - Finalist - Oxford Script Awards - 2026

  • Life Debt - Finalist - Berlin International Screenwriting Festival - 2025

  • Life Debt - Finalist - London Best Script Award - 2025

  • One More Year - Finalist - Chicago Script Awards - 2025

  • One More Year - Finalist - New York Script Awards - 2025

Contact James: