My Grandfather's Great War

“Generally speaking, I find the longer a man has been in the army, the less intelligent he is.” So writes Captain Alexander Stewart in his diaries, a man who served on the Somme’s frontline for two years during the First World War and, despite all the odds, survived to tell the tale.

Or rather, write about it at a later date. As his grandson, actor Cameron Stewart, points out, Captain Stewart never spoke about his experiences. Instead he poured his recollections into a set of diaries, entitled A Very Unimportant Officer, which inspired this powerful one-man show.

This is no dry recitation of journal entries or tedious history lesson. Rather, it is an incredibly moving depiction of that terrible war. Much of the credit must go to Captain Stewart himself for his candour, his literary skill and his grim humour.

His grandson Cameron is a very able performer, relaxed and spirited as occasion demands. His confidence and affable demeanour encourage the audience to follow his every word, while his portrait of his grandfather during the war, resiliently suffering all the iniquities of trench warfare, is excellent. The cohesive sound and light design creates a broad landscape, and allows for moments that are quite terrifying. The occasional projected photographs of soldiers bring a great sense of loss for those who died so wantonly.

Stewart is justifiably proud of his grandfather, a recipient of the Military Cross and a man of astounding bravery. As Stewart points out, only one man who served then now remains alive – Harry Patch, aged 110. The memory of the conflict is fading already but its effects still reverberate down to us today, making this production essential viewing.