True Story of Only Royal Navy Admiral Executed by Firing Squad Comes to The Playground

Re-imagining the last two days of Admiral John Byng before his death by firing squad after losing the Battle of Minorca in 1756, Swing! Swing! Admiral Byng! looks at a man coming to terms with the end of his life, knowing to the second when he will die. As he awaits his fate, Byng grapples with the consequences of his court-martial where he was convicted of “failing to do his utmost” to defend Port Mahon from the French, though the island had been lost even before he set sail from Portsmouth. Stripped of his rank, made a scapegoat by those in power and aware of the public outcry against him, he wrestles with feelings of betrayal while also cherishing his friendships, reflecting on his bond with his sister, and contemplating his legacy as he comes to terms with his impending death

Admiral John Byng joined the navy at the age of thirteen following in the footsteps of his father and built a reputation as a naval officer becoming a vice admiral in 1747 and later a member of Parliament. He was executed for losing the Battle of Minorca, one that was arguably lost before he arrived as the island was already conquered. He was scapegoated and lambasted by the public through song, effigies and ridicule, the equivalent to today’s social media. The Battle of Minorca marked the start of the Seven Years War.

Swing! Swing! Admiral Byng! is the third instalment in writer Christopher Swann’s “Forgotten Trilogy,” following “One Night”, which recounts the choosing of the Unknown Warrior in 1920, and “Up In The Blue”, a tribute to the women pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary in WWII. Each piece is a profound meditation on loss, legacy, and the personal cost of duty. Swann is a BAFTA, EMMY and Gramophone award winning director and writer who has worked in radio, TV, film and theatre. The part of Admiral Byng will be played by Playground’s Founder and Artistic Director Peter Tate.

Christopher Swann said ‘ Byng was ghosted and cancelled by both society and the public much like today’s social media witch hunts. The need for a scapegoat to mask parliament and navy mistakes, compounded by rigid bureaucracy, also echoes our contemporary world reflecting some of today’s scandals and catastrophes. Though not the best or worst commander, he followed orders and was eventually executed for it. I wrote the play to complete my trilogy with a story centred on a man who knows his exact moment of death, exploring his isolation and state of mind. The play was my way to give him closure through finding friendship, understanding love, and offering him a very special dream on his last night.”