The holiday season inevitably brings a wave of Christmas-themed productions to local stages, and Edmonton's Northern Light Theatre is no exception. Their latest offering, How Patty and Joanne Won High Gold at the Grand Christmas Cup Winter Dance Competition (conveniently shortened to Patty and Joanne), runs until December 13. Written and directed by the company's artistic director, Trevor Schmidt, the show delivers laughs but feels constrained by its origins as a shorter piece.
A Festive Tap Dance Dilemma
The plot kicks off with a crisis in the Adult Beginner Tap Class at the Free Body Dance Station. The class has fallen apart, with most students and their teacher, Miss Amber, having departed. Left behind are the two titular characters, Patty (Jenny McKillop) and Joanne (Kendra Connor), clad in leg warmers and tap shoes, too late for a refund. Undeterred, they decide to pivot from the group category—where they were meant to perform to Beyoncé's Single Ladies—and enter the duo division with their own rendition of Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You. The central question becomes whether these two mismatched, aspiring dancers can overcome their differences and choreograph a winning routine in time.
Strong Performances Anchor the Comedy
The comedic dynamic between the two leads is the production's strongest asset. McKillop's Patty is tall, dreamy, and visibly worn down by the demands of her five children, referred to as 'The Monsters.' Her expressive, scrunchy face and doll-like blinking eyes evoke a sympathetic desire from the audience to offer comfort. In contrast, Connor's Joanne is a compact bundle of ambition and bossy energy, her tightly coiled curls seeming to command authority. She persistently insists Patty doesn't need her glasses. However, the performance reveals Joanne's softer, lonelier side, clinging to memories of her parents and classic holiday films, underscored by the haunting notes of White Christmas in sound designer Lindsey Walker's effective audio landscape.
Inherent Challenges from the Play's Development
Despite the skilled performances, the play struggles with a structural issue tied to its history. As noted in the program, Schmidt initially wrote the show years ago as "a slightly trite exercise in sitcom writing." After delays, including those caused by COVID-19, it was revived with a Christmas twist by Calgary's Lunchbox Theatre. The show is now running concurrently in both cities with different casts. Lunchbox operates on a unique business model requiring shows to be 60 minutes or less for lunchtime audiences. While this format may suit that venue, it creates challenges for Northern Light Theatre's traditional 75-to-90-minute performance slot.
The condensed runtime means plot points are hurriedly advanced between jokes, character development feels unearned, and emotional transitions lack sufficient material. For instance, the shift from Patty and Joanne not speaking to Joanne becoming "Auntie Joanne" to Patty's children happens abruptly. Schmidt, an award-winning playwright known for his craft in dialogue, fills the script with witty alliteration and punchy pacing. Yet, the play's foundational constraints prevent it from fully realizing its potential in this longer theatrical context.
Ultimately, Patty and Joanne provides a dose of festive fun anchored by two compelling performances. It showcases the humour in everyday aspirations and holiday chaos. However, audiences should be prepared for a show that feels more like an extended comic sketch than a fully fleshed-out narrative, a direct result of its concise original design.
