‘Benidorm star Crissy Rock plays Lily in first UK tour for hilarious hit Scouse stage comedy’
Smash hit comedy Desperate Scousewives is set to head out on its first ever nationwide tour this spring, entertaining theatre audiences across the country.
Benidorm and I’m a Celebrity star Crissy Rock heads the fabulous all-female cast as Lily in the hilarious show which will play 19 dates at 17 venues between Wednesday 13 May and Saturday 20 June 2026.
Desperate Scousewives: Lily’s Story is written, directed and stars Lynne Fitzgerald. The talented cast also includes Lynn Francis and Samantha Alton.
The fantastic, five-week tour opens at Stockport Plaza on 13 May before travelling to The Brindley at Runcorn for two performances on 20-21 May, and the Forum Theatre in Billingham (23 May), Cast Doncaster (26 May), Nottingham Arts Theatre (27 May), the Mercury Theatre in Colchester (29 May) and Darlington’s Majestic Theatre on 30 May.
The tour then continues with dates at the Blackburn Empire on 3 June, St George’s Hall in Bradford on 4 June, the Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight (5 June), Key Theatre, Peterborough (6 June), the Princess Theatre in Hunstanton (7 June), Blackpool Grand Theatre (10 June), The Atkinson at Southport (11 June), St Helens Theatre Royal (12 June) and two dates at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre on 16-17 June. It ends at the Lyric Theatre in Carmarthen on Saturday, 20 June.
Desperate Scousewives is an acclaimed series of four plays, each told from the perspective of one of its quartet of vibrant characters.
In Desperate Scousewives: Lily’s Story, get ready for a riotous, fast-paced comedy following the lives of three, no-nonsense Liverpool women and one nervous newcomer, all navigating life, love, loyalty and lipstick on a tightly knit street.
Susan, Vanessa and Lily dominate the street with their big personalities, big voices and even bigger secrets. But everything is turned upside down with the arrival of Trisha, a single mum from Manchester, thrown into the lion’s den of long-established friendships and fierce loyalty.
Crissy Rock is Lily. Best known as one of the stars of ITV’s hit series Benidorm, and a multi-award winner, Crissy Rock is hailed by fans as one of the most outstanding and outrageous stand-up comedians of her generation. From her hilarious routines directed at useless partners (well, men in general) to her journey through the onset of middle age, Crissy’s non-stop blasts of comedy brilliance hit the right note every time.
Lynne Fitzgerald plays Susan. Lynne is a celebrated Liverpool actress, writer and director best-known for creating the hit comedy quartet Desperate Scousewives. She has written more than 10 stage plays and has performed in many hugely successful touring productions across the UK including Twopence to Cross the Mersey and By the Waters of Liverpool.
A former stand-up comedian, Lynne is admired for her impeccable timing and expressive comedy style. Her work captures the heart, humour and spirit of Merseyside life. A true powerhouse of northern theatre, she continues to entertain audiences with her wit, warmth and authenticity.
Lynn Francis is Tricia. Lynn has worked extensively in theatre, mostly at Liverpool’s Royal Court playing various roles including Brenda in Ladies Day, Mo in The Royal, Mandy in Mam! I’m Ere! Annie Fields in Reds and Blues, Carol in Yellow Breck Road, Molly in Haunted Scouse, Nan in The Netherley Hillbillies and Nan in Anfield Apocalypse to name just a few.
She has toured playing Mother in Helen Forrester’s By the Waters of Liverpool. Other plays include Waiting for Gateau, plus many pantos over the years. Lynn has also played various roles in previous productions of Desperate Scousewives.
And Samantha Alton appears as Vanessa. Samantha is a Liverpudlian actress who has been acting professionally for over a decade. Although the majority of her credits come from the stage, she has also filmed for TV commercials, corporate, short films and pilots, recorded voiceover work audio plays and animation, and more recently started stand-up comedy.
She previously played ‘Nessa’ in Desperate Scousewives in 2024. Other notable recent stage credits include the title role in Irish Annie’s on its 2025 UK tour, Louise in Under the Mersey Moon, Helena in Hammer & Helena, Ruby in Buckled, Fiona in By the Waters of Liverpool (UK tour, 2023) and Kitty (Catherine Wilkinson) in Kitty, Queen of the Washhouse.
Desperate Scousewives is brought to the stage by Bill Elms Productions (Judy & Liza, Irish Annie’s, Swan Song, Jerry Springer the Opera, Something About George, Something About Lennon).
Lynne Fitzgerald said: “I’m thrilled to be taking Desperate Housewives on tour. The plays form a quartet, with each of the characters having their own story, so each show stands alone, yet together they create the full, hilarious world I envisioned.
“When I first wrote the character Lily, I was already a huge fan of Crissy Rock and had been lucky enough to work with her on stage many times over the years. I always wrote Lily with Crissy in mind, so to now have her performing Lily on tour is the pinnacle of my writing career.
“I’m also thrilled to be joined by Lynn Francis and Sam Alton who have both performed in Desperate Scousewives over the past 14 years in different roles. I’m so happy to have my perfect cast, all with strong comedy backgrounds, bringing these characters to life.”
Producer Bill Elms added: “Desperate Scousewives has been a huge hit whenever it has been staged in Liverpool City Region, so I’m very excited to now be able to share Lynne’s fantastic comedy creation with audiences right across the country on this inaugural UK tour.
“I’m also absolutely delighted to welcome the brilliant Crissy Rock who is joining the hugely talented cast of actresses bringing Lily, Susan, Nessa and Tricia to life on stage. I know theatregoers up and down Britain are going to love these ‘liver birds’ just as much as we do.”
For more details on Desperate Scousewives: Lily’s Story visit the tour website on www.scousewivesonstage.com
SHOW LISTINGS
DESPERATE SCOUSEWIVES: LILY’S STORY
Stockport Plaza
Wednesday 13 May 2026
stockportplaza.co.uk | 0161 477 7779
The Brindley, Runcorn
Wednesday 20 – Thursday 21 May 2026
thebrindley.org.uk | 0151 907 8360
Forum Theatre, Billingham
Saturday 23 May 2026
forumtheatrebillingham.co.uk | 01642 552 663
Cast Doncaster
Tuesday 26 May 2026
castdoncaster.com | 01302 303959
Nottingham Arts Theatre
Wednesday 27 May 2026
nottingham-theatre.co.uk | 0115 947 5925
Mercury Theatre, Colchester
Friday 29 May 2026
mercurytheatre.co.uk | 01206 573948
The Majestic Theatre, Darlington
Saturday 30 May 2026
themajestictheatre.co.uk | 01325 633255
Blackburn Empire Theatre
Wednesday 3 June 2026
blackburnempire.com | 01254 685500
St George’s Hall, Bradford
Thursday 4 June 2026
bradford-theatres.co.uk | 01274 432000
Gladstone Theatre, Port Sunlight
Friday 5 June 2026
princesstheatrehunstanton.co.uk | 01485 532 252
Key Theatre, Peterborough
Saturday 6 June 2026
keytheatre-peterborough.com | 01733 852992
Princess Theatre, Hunstanton
Sunday 7 June 2026
princesstheatrehunstanton.co.uk | 01485 532252
Grand Theatre, Blackpool
Wednesday 10 June 2026
blackpoolgrand.co.uk | 01253 290190
The Atkinson, Southport
Thursday 11 June 2026
theatkinson.co.uk | 01704 533333
St Helens Theatre Royal
Friday 12 June 2026
sthelenstheatreroyal.com | 01744 756 000
Epstein Theatre Liverpool
Tuesday 16 – Wednesday 17 June 2026
epsteintheatre.com | 0151 312 8735
Lyric Theatre Carmarthen
Saturday 20 June 2026
theatrausirgar.co.uk | 0345 226 3510