THEATER REVIEW : GASLAMP’S ‘ON APPROVAL’ GETS HEARTY APPROVAL

“On Approval” at the Gaslamp Quarter Theatre is a very pleasant way to spend an evening.

Once the mind slows to the subtle pace of life in an upper-class British drawing room around 1926, Frederick Lonsdale’s comedy, directed by Will Simpson, offers steady amusement, like a long chew on an English toffee.

The Gaslamp has given it life with wonderfully apt upper-crust costumes (by Dianne Holly) and slices of a detailed London parlor and a Scottish country house that just fit into the tiny theater--more amazing work by the Gaslamp’s master of miniature, designer Robert Earl.

Rebecca Nachison is all frosty, controlled sophistication as the widowed Mrs. Wislack, a selfish, critical but wealthy middle-aged woman who lets her hostess, Helen Hayle (played by Cheryl Harvey) in on her plan to take any prospective husband away for a month alone, “on approval,” before she’ll consider remarrying.

Maria Wislack’s theory is that men seem wonderful on first examination, but their real, nasty habits and personalities emerge only after the knot is tied.

Of course, the time being six decades ago, she is not proposing anything unseemly for a society lady. As her single prospect soon discovers, the terms of the proposed trial at her house in Scotland demand that the poor man act naturally, but trek three miles to a hotel each night.

Robert Harland exhibits the patience of a rock as Maria’s suitor, Richard Halton. Richard has been in love with her for 20 years, silently bearing the pain of his infatuation because he is convinced Maria would never have him and his meager income.

Richard’s questionable friend, George, the Duke of Bristol (Mike Timoney), a boorishly self-centered “bounder” who thinks he is a gift to womankind, is on hand to coerce Richard into revealing his love to Maria, whom George loudly describes as being very old.

Cut from the same cloth, George and Maria can barely stand to be in the same room together. One of the vagaries of Lonsdale’s plot is just why they are, except as a convenience to later developments--best revealed on stage, not in print.

Maria, fully aware from the first of Richard’s love, quickly takes charge of the situation. Meanwhile, Helen’s quiet marriage designs upon the incorrigible George begin to take shape, and the four of them end up in Scotland, where things do not turn out exactly as planned, but the devils get their due.

Lonsdale makes wonderful observations on his characters. His style is not the fluffy romp of a Noel Coward; it is more subtle, slower, with more direct comments on the folly of our worst traits, but no less amusing.

As staged by the Gaslamp, “On Approval” easily dusts off its years to display a timeless fascination, like the antique chandelier suspended overhead. Simpson has remained sensitive to the delicate timing the period requires. It moves in a leisurely pace, but “On Approval” is so filled with goodies that it’s nice to have the time to savor them.

Nachison’s Maria is wickedly believable but amusing enough to put a comfortable buffer between facets of ourselves and her demanding, nagging, selfish abuse of poor Richard. Her strong performance adds considerably to the production’s success.

Harland plays Richard with care, taking time to ease out the character’s reactions through Lonsdale’s wordy British propriety.

Harvey builds Helen’s personality so slowly--content at first to move gracefully through the background--that her big moments at the end are a wonderful surprise. It takes admirable confidence (and the advice of a good director) to risk such a drawn-out attempt, but the patience pays off.

Timoney, as George, is as much fun to hiss as Nachison. He’s positively disgusting, good-looking enough to believe he is gorgeously irresistible, conceited enough to insult and use everyone around him, including the patient Helen. Timoney goes for the jugular of comic characterization and he, too, is an asset to the production.

Matthew Cubitto’s lighting, which streams through windows and shows off Holly’s glittering dinner gowns, is skillfully maneuvered. The 1920s music adds to the fun.

“On Approval” is highly recommended for entertainment. At the same time, it offers a painless form of self-examination, a healthy occupation for anyone who hopes Mrs. Wislack and the Duke of Bristol are nothing like themselves.

“ON APPROVAL” By Frederick Lonsdale. Directed by Will Simpson. Set design, Robert Earl. Lighting, Matthew Cubitto. Costumes, Dianne Holly. With Robert Harland, Cheryl Harvey, Rebecca Nachison, Mike Timoney. Wednesday-Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., through Sept. 27 at the Gaslamp Quarter Theatre, 547 4th Ave., San Diego.