When Cameron Stewart was handed his grandfather's World War One diaries he decided to do something very special with them.

The actor has mixed Captain Alexander Stewart's experiences of the Somme with those of his modern day life in a one-man show that premiered to great acclaim at last year's Edinburgh Festival.

Directed by renowned solo performer David Benson, the play is beginning a new national tour at Croydon Clocktower on Wednesday.

"Grandpa wrote a diary while he was in World War One full of short entries," explains Cameron.

"He expanded on them 11 years later adding excerpts on what was going on and the British feelings about it, making it into a memoir really.

"He made three copies, giving one to his brother, one to my father and one to his regiment the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) that only resurfaced recently.

"The one he gave to my father sat on the family bookshelf from 1978 to 2006 when my father handed it to me and said you might like to look at this.

"I thought it was astonishing and wanted to do something with it.

"I remember my mum saying to me when I was little that when I grew up I must do something with grandpa's diary because it is really interesting.

"He wasn't her father but she knew it was a good story."

Cameron is keen to point out that the performance is not just a reading of the diaries though.

"It's not a reading it's a play," he says.

"I start by telling people how I found the diary and then I read a bit but what I'm mainly talking about is my generation and life today compared to his.

"I'm the first in three generations of my family not to go to war partly because of what happened to my Grandpa.

"I juxtapose bits of me then a bit of grandpa, then a bit of me again.

"Ever so slightly it becomes a lot more grandpa than me.

"It's the first one-man show I have done and it's very gratifying if also wearing.

"It's actually very energetic but I am very proud of it.

"I am pleased to be doing it because I felt it needed to be done."

My Grandfather's Great War, Croydon Clocktower, Katharine Street, September 24, 7.30pm, £7.50. Call 020 8253 1030 or visit croydonclocktower.org.uk.