IF anyone thinks Madonna is past her sell-by date now she is 45 years old and a mother of two, her stunning performance at Manchester's MEN Arena on Saturday night proved nothing could be further from the truth.

Proceedings might well have started 30 minutes late but she made a spectacular entrance on an elevated platform to rapturous welcome from the 16,500 capacity crowd.

What followed for the next hour and 50 minutes was an impeccably choreographed song-and-dance extravaganza of epic proportions that was seamlessly stitched together.

Madonna's 1990 hit Vogue kicked things off with the singer sounding in fine voice and looking fantastic in a champagne coloured sequined bodice, hot pants and knee-high boots.

And at her side were nine dancers, decked out in French period costume. Renditions of Nobody Knows Me and Frozen followed before Madonna disappeared briefly for the first of five costume changes.

She returned with the dance troupe in full military gear, complete with black berets and rifles, and launched straight into American Life and a high-energy version of Express Yourself.

The theatrical element of the show never let up with various song and dance set pieces featuring trapeze artists, skateboarders, a tap dancer in top hat and tails, and even a dancing bagpiper.

There was an exaggerated crossing of legs routine from Madonna and her dancers - a la the Sharon Stone pose in Basic Instinct - in Hanky Panky and in the conclusion of the music, Madonna and her dancers turned their backs on the audience and bent over revealing the word "freedom" spelt out across their collective under garments.

As proceedings hit near fever pitch, Madonna whipped off her top at the end of Crazy For You and threw it into the audience, sparking a frenzied stampede.

Holiday - the pop anthem that started the Madonna phenomenon back in the early '80s - was to be the night's final song. In the "always leave them wanting more" showbiz style, no encore followed and Madonna was probably safely back in her hotel suite long before most fans left the arena.

This tour of Madonna's is billed as The Re-invention Tour. And with a career which now spans more than 20 years, shows her ability to anticipate and respond to ever-changing music trends.

Britney, Kylie, Christina, Avril and co. might have made concerted efforts to steal Madonna's "Queen Of Pop" crown in recent times but this show confirmed that she looks set to reign supreme for a good while yet.

As fans streamed away into the night, the high ticket prices (the best seats costing £150) seemed good value for money.