What was she wearing?

Surrounded by jugglers, acrobats, clowns and gymnasts, Britney Spears donned a raunchy ringmasters outfit last night and launched her comeback tour.

The alternately idolised and ridiculed pop star, 27, chose her home state of Louisiana to kick off her first tour in almost five years and was rewarded with the type of feverish reception that has eluded her in recent times.

Although Spears chose to mime rather than sing live during the first of her Circus Tour shows, the New Orleans audience went wild for the star, who swiftly proved she had finally returned to form following a protracted public meltdown.

After previous comeback attempts failed disastrously - most notably her stumbling, confused performance at the 2007 MTV Awards - Spears cheekily acknowledged the media attention focused on the first of her 44 concerts by employing the services of Perez Hilton.

The gossip blogger, who recorded her admissions to psychiatric hospitals and rehabilitation units in slavish detail, appeared on a big screen dressed as Queen Elizabeth, prompting Spears to take a bow and arrow and shoot him.

But other critics couldn’t be silenced as easily, with many questioning her decision to mime.

It is a criticism that has been levelled at Spears before, with an X Factor audience disappointed last year when the star mimed through a guest performance.

But the majority of critics agreed that last night’s performance was a marked improvement, with the vast array of dancers, circus performers and costume changes delivering a dazzling spectacle.

LA Times blogger Ann Powers said of the tour: “It will not fail. She is back up on the beam.”

MTV writer James Montgomery described the night as “a big, huge, loud, funny, nonsensical three-ring affair that includes everything under the big top — even an actual big top”.

Spears mixed songs from her latest album Circus, which gave rise to the tour's theme, with tracks that took her to the top as a teenager, including global No. 1s Toxic and Baby One More Time.

She also pulled out tunes recorded at the height of her health problems, placing the paparazzi-baiting song Piece Of Me high on her set list.

The star spoke only sparingly to the audience, simply telling them as she ended the 90-minute show: “Thank you New Orleans”

Spears will now tour the show through America, before bringing it to a close in June with an eight-night run at London’s 02 arena.

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