Swing! Swing! Admiral Byng!

The play, set on the last two days of Byng’s life, is about friendship, navy life, betrayal by those in power. Is about John Byng (
Peter Tate),
finding peace to die with dignity, after being court-martialled, convicted of ‘not doing his utmost’ to save Port Mahon, stripped of his rank, who feels his dishonour unjust and believes history will find him innocent of fault. So far it hasn’t. As the clock ticks down to his final moment, Byng wrestles with his fate, seeking solace in newfound bonds with his servant Hutchens (
Chris Barritt
) and a young boy (
James Shenoi
) about to join the Navy. He takes comfort from his sister Sarah (
Corrina McDermott
) and best friend Augustus Hervey and in dreams, he meets Voltaire (
Merric Boyd
), who offers a glimpse into the future and the echoes of Byng’s legacy. Two sailors punctuate the drama with haunting ballads of the day — the 18th century’s version of social media — that condemned Byng long before his final hour. Through these songs and the poignant relationships Byng forms in his last days, Swann deftly explores the weight of honour, the sting of betrayal, and the quiet search for peace.

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