EXCLUSIVE: Here's what Corrie's Andy McDonald is up to now

Nicholas Cochrane, who played Andy McDonald in Coronation Street, will be going on tour in a new stage play.

Nicholas will play the part of scheming farmhand Ginger Slater in Catherine Cookson's The Cinder Path.  The play has been adapted from the novel and written by northeast writer (and my pal) Paul Dunn.  Visit Paul's website here.

The tour takes place over May and June this year, and visits the Phoenix Theatre in Blyth, the Billingham Forum, Consett Empire, and the Royalty Theatre in Sunderland.

You can join the Cinder Path facebook page, where you can link to get tickets for all performances. It’s already selling fast, so get your tickets now to avoid disappointment!

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The faces of Corrie in 1996

If you remember, last year I had a series of posts looking at the top 12 faces of each Corrie decade - the 1960s, the 1970s, the 1980s, the 1990s and the 2000s. For the next few weeks or so, I’ll be looking at the top 12 faces of each year between 1960 and 2013.

With thanks to Corriepedia for the information.

In 1996, 163 episodes were broadcast.

1. Vera Duckworth (114 episodes)

2. Liz McDonald (105 episodes)

3. Andy McDonald (102 episodes)

4. Jack Duckworth (100 episodes)

5. Ken Barlow (97 episodes)

6. Deirdre Rachid (94 episodes)

7. Rita Sullivan (92 episodes)

8. Bill Webster (92 episodes)

9. Don Brennan (90 episodes)

10. Jim McDonald (87 episodes)

11. Mavis Wilton (86 episodes)

12. Mike Baldwin (85 episodes)

Due to lack of space, Alma Baldwin, Fiona Middleton and Audrey Roberts fail to make the top 12, but they also appear in 85 episodes

Average age: 51

Note: This is the last time Mavis (to date), Jack and Don appear in the top 12 and the only time, to date, Andy and Bill appear

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Corrie fellas to tell tales from the Street on stage

Charlie Lawson and Nick Cochrane, who played Jim McDonald and Andy McDonald on Coronation Street, will be telling tales from Coronation Street next month.

Charlie and Nick will  take to the stage at Colne Muni, Albert Road in Lancashire on Thursday, November 15.

Together the actors are behind Tales from the Street, a look back at their time on The Street and their life since. Lawson’s other credits include the medical series Doctors, 80s comedy Bread and The Bill. 

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Fab Photo - Steve and Andy, circa 1991

It's Friday again, and here's a blast from the past, 1991 to be exact when we see Terrible Twins, Steve and Andy McDonald broadcasting their illegal radio station. They caused a bit of upset taking the micky out of their teacher, Captain Carpetslippers (aka Ken Barlow) and were shut down in quick order.

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Ex-Corrie actors spill Street secrets

WIN TICKETS TO THIS SHOW - CLICK HERE!

Coronation Street’s Charlie Lawson (Jim McDonald) and Nick Cochrane (Andy McDonald) will be appearing at a special theatre event called Soap Star Secrets.

The ex-Corrie actors will talk candidly about their lives on and off the small screen. Packed with true life stories and behind the scenes anecdotes, question & answer section, guaranteed laughs and unexpected shocks, this one off evening will leave no soap stone un-turned.

The revelations will start in the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage at 7.45pm on Saturday November 5.

Book your tickets and find out more here.

And if you go along, and you would like to do a review of the show afterwards, please do let us know.

Back to 1990 with the McDonald twins

'Time flies when you're having fun', at least that's what they say. It's been a bit of a McDonald-fest on Corrie this week, with Steve's wedding to Becky Granger spelling the return not only of Leggy Liz, but of Steve's twin Andy and dad Big Jim. Nuptials and bad wedding ensembles aside, time really has flown, since 2009 is the year that the McDonalds notch up twenty years on the show.

With the day to myself, I decided to flick through a book commemorating Corrie's 30th anniversary in 1990. Inside was a section about Steve and Andy McDonald, Corrie new boys and 'Bros lookalikes' (according to the writer at least). Alongside the conventional actor rundown, there's an interesting quote from Simon, who doesn't seem to consider Coronation Street as his job of choice: 'The job I'd like to get is an RAF technician, I was in the RAF cadets and flew a Chipmunk'. Ironic that twenty years and five weddings later, Steve McDonald is arguably Corrie's most popular male character.

Jim McDonald and Andy return to Corrie

Both Jim and Andy McDonald are returning to Corrie for Steve and Becky's wedding, say Digital Spy.

Corrie producer Kim Crowther revealed to DS: "Lloyd plays quite a major part in Steve's next wedding when Jim McDonald makes a reappearance. The thing that Jim gets embroiled in isn't what you'd expect, though. Lloyd manages to cause a rumpus at the nuptials without it all panning out as you'd think - considering Lloyd's going out with Liz, that is. Jim - and actually Andy, too - reappear, so it'll be a big old McDonald wedding."

See also: Steve and Becky's wedding No. 2

Nick Cochrane on verge of bankruptcy

Steve McDonald's twin brother Andy was played by actor Nick Cochrane. Nick's poured his heart out to the Sunday People and confesses he's lost a small fortune on an ill-fated soaps magazine since he left Coronation Street.

You can read the full interview here.