How would you live life differently? - Debut stage play comes to Riverhead Theatre
Playwright James Sweeney will be presenting his debut stage play, Make It Count, at Louth’s Riverhead Theatre in June
Make It Count is a studio-scale three-hander — an existential comedy-drama about love, control, second chances and fate’s fine print.
Make It Count asks: what would you change if you could live your marriage again… and what might you destroy by trying?
The premiere performance will be at the Riverhead from June 18-20 and James explained: “It’s an amateur production, but I’m hoping to use the opportunity to enhance the reputation of the play and build a future pathway for it.”
It has already recently been named Best Stage Play at the Best Script Awards this year, won Louth Riverhead Theatre Scratch Night by an audience vote in September 2025 and is James is set to hold a staged reading of the script at Langham Court Theatre, Victoria, Canada in September 2026 with post-show Q&A afterwards.
In the play, main character Jonas dies unexpectedly and negotiates a second chance to relive the last 16 years of his life starting with the night he first met his wife Lily, who doesn’t know him yet, their marriage is suddenly something he has to earn—again.
Armed with knowledge of the future, he attempts to perfect their life — only to discover that control slowly destroys the love he is trying to save. Guided by the Grim Reaper’s well-meaning but inexperienced husband, the couple become trapped in a time loop where every “improvement” carries unforeseen consequences.
The show starts at 7pm each night. For tickets go to: https://www.ticketsource.com/louthriverheadtheatre/make-it-count-scratch-night-winner/e-xpymrl