WELL, catch yerself on ... if it isn't Corrie's favourite Street fighter Jim McDonald, not slinging punches but guns as the legendary cowboy Buffalo Bill.

Actor Charlie Lawson, who's played the fiery Irishman on and off for the past 16 years, is making the most of his time away from soapland to star in the musical Annie Get Your Gun.

But he's the first to admit that he was hardly an obvious choice to don a stetson and belt out stage classics like There's No Business Like Showbusiness.

"This is my first ever musical and I actually thought it was a wind-up when I was first asked," he laughs.

"I was staying with Neil Morrissey at the time and I thought he must be behind it. I honestly thought there was a hidden camera somewhere and Jeremy Beadle was going to walk through the door any minute.

"But I was thrilled to be asked and obviously a part like Buffalo Bill breaks the mould from how people are used to seeing me."

As Corrie's Jim, millions have been watching the ups and downs of his marriage to Liz since he joined the cast in 1989.

He did a 10-year stint before boredom - his and the show's writers - saw him move on. In fictional terms that meant him heading to prison and in real life it allowed him the freedom to notch up a string of other TV and theatre appearances.

But, as fans know, that wasn't the end of the explosive character. He's regularly been back on screen, albeit behind bars, for the past three years and is mentioned by the remaining McDonald clan virtually every week.

For that reason, Belfast-born Charlie accepts he's still associated with Jim, although he insists he doesn't think of himself as a Street regular any more.