Corrie’s Jim had stroke on stage
Coronation Street star Charles Lawson, who plays Jim McDonald in the soap, says he is “firing on all cylinders again” after suffering a mini stroke on stage.
Charles, 59, took ill as he per formed in tour ing stage play Rebus: Long Shadows, which opened in Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre three weeks ago.
He said: “Not to put too fine a point on it, I had a TIA [transient ischemic attack] on stage, which is a mini stroke.
“We opened in Edinburgh, playing to a full house, and halfway through the second half, the climax of the play, I went deaf.
“I was aware that John Stahl [who plays gangster Big Ger Caf ferty in the production] was saying his lines but I thought they were from a different play.
“For about two minutes, I had no idea where I was, then I woke up in the wings. It was a little disturbing, to say the least.”
The actor says he has fully recovered despite the scare.
He added: “There was no lasting damage so I’m back on sta ge and delighted to be saying I’m firing on all cylinders.
“I t ’ s a sho c k but apparently they are very common. Sometimes people don’t even know they’ve had them until there is a problem later on. I’ve been given medication, which I’ll be on for the rest of my life.”
Charles returned to Coronation Street earlier this year in a storyline which saw Jim being duped by his girlfriend into trying to con his ex-wife Liz.