As a former French student, I was excited at the prospect of Swing! Swing! Admiral Byng! This new play from writer and director (and sound designer!) Christopher Swann is playing at the Playground Theatre, a venue new to me but which I hope to visit again soon.
The play chronicles the final days of Admiral John Byng, a Royal Navy officer who was executed by firing squad after failing to save Port Mahon in Minorca from the French. Confined to his quarters on HMS Monarch, Byng ponders his fate with his trusty servant Hutchens and reconnects with his best friend Augustus Hervey and his sister Sarah.
As the final hours tick past, a pair of sailors sing contemporary ballads about Byng, reflecting the public mood which was whipped up against the admiral by the political establishment who were truly to blame for his failure at Port Mahon.
Peter Bingemann’s set design consists mostly of large flats painted to look like sails, which move across the stage as necessary. Behind this scenery sits the primary set, that of Admiral John Byng’s room aboard HMS Monarch.
The show opens with a spectacular blast of lights and sound from Petr Vocka and Swann respectively, depicting the fateful battle itself. After this raucous opening, the action quickly moves to Byng’s quarters on HMS Monarch, and he is in a reflective mood.
Byng’s servant Hutchens, who has formed a touching bond with the admiral throughout his long years of service, is played by Chris Barritt. He gives a charming performance that produces many of the play’s lighter moments, particularly when he reminisces about his relationship with Molly. The interval bar serving “Molly’s rum” in the auditorium was a wonderful touch, and we were only too happy to support the production by sampling it.
Merric Boyd takes on a double role as Byng’s closest friend, Augustus Hervey, but seems to have more fun as an impish Voltaire, who appears in an extended cameo during a dream sequence. Voltaire symapthises with Byng’s predicament and quotes the scene in Candide where the title character witnesses the admiral’s execution along with the historic line “pour encourager les autres” (“to encourage the others”).
Alongside Hutchens and Hervey, Byng is also supported by his sister, Sarah, in an understated performance from Corrina McDermott. Like Hervey, she points out the hypocrisy of the political establishment condemning a man to cover their own incompetence. This is where the play’s historical subject resonates most strongly with a modern audience, and the story of a man becoming a scapegoat to protect the elite could have been told at any time in the intervening two and a half centuries.
The cast is rounded out by Randy Smartnick and James Shenoi as two sailors, who swap bawdy tales and sing ballads and shanties between scenes. Sometimes they provide comic relief, and sometimes they highlight the grim tone of public opinion. Shenoi also gets the chance to shine as Nicholas, a young naval officer who Hervey introduces to Byng during his final days.
The whole cast give solid performances, but Peter Tate offers a particularly dignified, sombre, measured performance as the stoic title character. Tate carries the entire play but barely falters in his performance despite a huge amount of dialogue.
Christopher Swann’s wordy, sophisticated script is peppered with literary allusions – some are biblical, at least one is taken from John Webster (“the stars’ tennis balls”), but most are taken from Shakespeare and include some deliberate misquotes. As a result, I kept hoping someone would say, “Let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of Byngs” but no luck!
With a two-hour running time, this reflective story has plenty of space to breathe, and as director Swann allows his script to do a lot of the work. Aside from occasional video projections, the cast tend to remain static on stage, drawing closer attention to the dialogue.
Swing! Swing! Admiral Byng! is an intense but rewarding portrait of a man facing his own mortality, and the effect his death will have on those around him. It runs until 17 May at the Playground Theatre and deserves to play to full houses.
For tickets visit www.theplaygroundtheatre.org.uk.
Words by Andrew Lawston
Photos by Holly-Anne White
