Goodness knows just how many yards of scarlet crushed velvet it has taken to transform the Palace, 1997, into the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, 1833, but the transformation is stunning as a backdrop for the musical recollection of The Meteoric Rise and Dramatic Demise of Edmund Kean. Kean was a genius of an actor and a pig of a man who lived on charisma and ultimately drowned his insecurities in alcohol and toppled off the tightrope of life. But Sylvia Freedman and Michael Jeffrey's intelligent, witty, multi-layered musical tale begs questions as well, such as: "Do we put our stars on pedestals, so we can indulge the vitriolic pleasure of knocking them down?" Superstar and super-ego were inextricably interwoven in the rich tapestry of Edmund Kean's life and David Burt portrays both sides superbly. Even the short passages of Kean's Shakespearean tour de force are outstandingly powerful, his singing first class - with blissfully clear diction. Michael Jeffrey’s music is for theatrical ambience rather than commercial CDs and Philip George's production reflects the riches of Kean's theatrical life by being lavishly costumed. A truly classy act the Palace can be proud of.