Things to do April 9, 2026 Guelph

 

Lilt of Laughter, Trace of Tears

One Man. Many Voices. An Irish tapestry of humour and heart.

GUELPH, ON – April 2026 — In Lilt of Laughter, Trace of Tears, veteran Ontario actor and storyteller Jay Wilson offers an evening of richly theatrical storytelling drawn from the spirit of rural Ireland. On Thursday, April 9 at 8 p.m. in the River Run Centre’s Studio Theatre, Wilson inhabits a gallery of unforgettable characters — revealing lives shaped by resilience, mischief, longing, and love.

With more than five decades of experience on stage, Wilson moves fluidly from one voice to another, embodying figures such as Fiddler O’Flaherty, the formidable Widow O’Donnell, Devlin Haggerty — and even Frances O’Feline, a cat of uncommon presence. Each portrait is rendered with emotional nuance and a deep respect for the rhythms of oral tradition, where laughter and loss are never far apart.

The production is adapted from a collection of stories by the late Charlene Herrold, a long-time family friend whose writing captured the cadence and character of Irish village life. When Wilson first encountered her work, he recognized in it the bones of theatre — intimate monologues alive with possibility. What began as a creative exploration gradually grew into a fully realized one-person show and a tribute to both the author and the storytelling tradition she cherished.

Early presentations with the Guelph Guild of Storytellers gradually evolved into a full one-person production. Following sold-out performances at Theatre Collingwood’s 2023 Porchside Festival, Lilt of Laughter, Trace of Tears has continued to resonate with audiences across Ontario. The production blends theatrical craft with heartfelt storytelling, inviting audiences into a world where wit softens sorrow and every life, no matter how ordinary, carries quiet significance.

This show is part of the Showcase Series, which features one-of-a-kind, theatrical performances. It is proudly supported by River Run’s 2025/26 Season Sponsor, Richardson Wealth, as well as with funding from the Government of Canada.

Tickets to Lilt of Laughter, Trace of Tears are $30 for adults, $28 for patrons over 60 years old, and $25 for those under 30. Sliding Scale tickets are available for $10 and $20. For more information or to purchase, call 519-763-3000, visit River Run’s Box Office at 35 Woolwich Street in Guelph, or go to https://riverrun.ca/whats-on/lilt-of-laughter-trace-of-tears/.

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70 Years in the Making

"How long did it take you?"

"My whole life."

Want to book this show for your venue?

Wilsonjay7@gmail.com 519 820-3269

JAYWalking Theatre

It's fun to switch between these two blogs

Try it HERE 

Galt Ontario

 

Author, Charlene Herrold was born in Alma Ontario, but moved to Galt (Cambridge) in the 1950's

I would love for her play to be performed in Cambridge as a tribute to her and her artistic career.

How about your community hall, intimate venue, Irish club, Newfie club, theatre space, or church?

Makes a great fundraiser. 

Scenic Art

It doesn't look like much now, but wait 'till it's finished.

Lilt of Laughter, Trace of Tears is getting a makeover as it heads into the theatre at the River Run Centre in April 2026

Scenic artist, Robin Baird Lewis and Set Construction Lead, Jim Hoare are making theatre magic.

Because we loved what Robin had done creating the publicity images for the show, We all agreed they had  a larger role to play so now they will appear as part of the show itself.

There is still lots of room for audience imagination. I love the flexibility of theatre boxes. They can serve as chairs, tables, risers, stairs...whatever you want. So that's what we will do. A one person theatre company means we have to keep the scale small. The good news is that also keeps the solutions creative.

Theatre Box

Author, author.

Who wrote Lilt of Laughter, Trace of Tears?

Charlene Herrold

1920-2009

Charlene was born in Alma ON and moved to Cambridge ON in the 1950’s. She was a well known visual artist and Interior Designer at J.H. Wilson and Sons in downtown Galt. Galt Little Theatre was often a recipient of Ms. Herrold’s talent as a Writer, Director, Actor, Painter and Stage Manager. In1999 Charlene sent Jay a copy of her book, Lilt of Laughter, Trace of Tears. 

The show is a collection of stories from that book, all except one, Frances O’Feline. The story of Frances was a gift sent to Jay’s children, Erin and Kayleigh.

TICKETS HERE

Guelph River Run Centre

How Lilt of Laughter, Trace of Tears became part of the River Run Centre's 2025/26 season.

In 2024, JayWalking Theatre did a performance of Gwelf Early Days as a Culture Days event at the River Run Centre. It played to a full house and audiences loved the show.

In early 2025 Bill Nuhn, then General Manager, asked "Do you have another show?"

You see, the house report for Gwelf Early Days was very good.

I mentioned, Lilt of Laughter, Trace of Tears.

And, well, here we are. Tickets are now available for the performance Thursday April 9, 2026. HERE

You'll love this delightful show that provokes laughter, and laughter-tears. A multitude of Irish characters who find themselves in amusing situations. The writing is spot-on capturing that unique way with words that only the Irish possess. That is all thanks to author Charlene Herrold. You'll hear more about her in a future post.

Charlene Herrold

No, you don't need to be Irish to enjoy this show as universal themes of love, loss, life and laughter are adeptly woven into the stories. 

As this is being written, a new set is under construction - Thanks to Jim Hoare, well known in Guelph for his work in theatre and Scenic Artist Robin Baird Lewis, no stranger to the art world is sharing her skills and talent.

We hope you will come. You will remember this show long after the hour is over and you will leave the theatre smiling and uplifted.

"Sure it is well known that the whole world would be Irish if it could." Fiddler O'Flaherty