Madonna lets it all hang out

Once she was the world's most outrageous performer, for whom public nudity was just another image. But then Madonna experienced motherhood, marriage and country life and discovered a degree of modesty.

So when she inadvertently exposed her chest to a 1,000-strong West End audience, Madonna was clearly horrified.

According to witnesses at the Wyndham Theatre, she blushed deeply and cursed before recovering her poise with an ad lib that drew mass applause.

The buttons of Madonna's waist-tied top came apart to reveal her bra last night at the start of the final preview performance of David Williamson's play, Up For Grabs, which opens tonight. There were gasps and titters from the audience until co-star Tom Irwin finally alerted her.

They were performing a blazing marital row when he finished a rant with an off-the-cuff: "And cover yourself up!"

Madonna, 43, swore in her off-stage voice and silently mouthed, "Oh my God," to laughter and applause.

As the laughter died away, she quipped in the style of her shopping-obsessed character : "Well, if you gave me more money to buy clothes..."

The audience erupted into applause and the play continued as scripted.

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