RONNIE Corbett's grandson has told how he will “carry the family baton” on the stage.

Dylan Corbett-Bader, the lead actor in A Glass of Nothing, said he has set out to make his grandfather proud and hopefully follow in his footsteps.

The 18-year-old finished a three-night run of the play by Brighton Blonde Productions yesterday in The Warren as part of the Brighton Fringe. His grandfather - one half of the iconic double act the Two Ronnies - died of motor neurone disease earlier this year.

Speaking exclusively to The Argus ahead of his show last night, Dylan said: “He taught me so much, he was my idol. He is what I compared success to. I wanted to be just like him. The fact I am in this play so soon after [his passing] has pushed me more to keep the family name alive.”

Dylan, who wears a ring on the little finger of his right hand just like his grandfather, said he will always have fond memories of playing golf with him, cooking crab linguine and visiting the tailors in Jermyn Street, London.

“He was always very well dressed and I too now have a love of fine clothes,” he said.

Dylan moved to Brighton when he was 12. Set to be a rising star, he won a postgraduate diploma in Acting for tv, film and radio at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College. He has now been accepted by the National Youth Theatre.

He said he has “thoroughly enjoyed” his first Fringe performance and hopes to follow the play to Edinburgh next year. He plans to write his own some day with his older brother, who is also an actor.

He said: "The play could not have gone better. There were nerves on the first night but everything went smoothly. It’s been 12 weeks of rehearsals but now I am looking forward to checking out everything else the fringe has to offer.

"It’s really important to work on your characters and make sure they are different. I love comedy but I also love drama too. I want to challenge myself and try all sorts of genres. I draw on my own experiences and emotions to prepare for the performance."

His family, including his mother Sophie – Ronnie’s daughter - and grandmother, the former West End musical star Anne Hart, were in the audience for his closing performance last night.

Sophie, an actress who owns the Four Candles boutique in Victoria Street, Brighton, said: “I’ve been to see Dylan twice in this play and he [Ronnie] is here with us – that’s the way I see it. Performing is in our blood. Dylan is really happy when he is on stage – he really enjoys it.”

His grandmother previously told The Argus Ronnie would be “overjoyed” and proud of Dylan while Peter Kenny, the playwright behind A Glass of Nothing, said Dylan had a "lovely depth and core to his performance".

Dylan added: “I’m so lucky to have grown up with so many actors around me. I’ve been given so many tips. My nana always told me to concentrate and work hard. When I was eight and I told her I wanted to be an actor she said I would need to be a grafter and I’ve always done that.”

Background

DYLAN Corbett-Bader is the 18-year-old grandson of comedy legend Ronnie Corbett and former West End musical star Anne Hart.

His mother Sophie, Ronnie's daughter, is an actress who owns the Four Candles boutique in Victoria Street, Brighton.

He landed a leading role in the two-night play A Glass of Nothing as part of the Brighton Fringe.

Dylan won a postgraduate diploma in Acting for TV, Film and Radio at Brighton, Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College, and has now been accepted by the National Youth