Madonna's flapper party

Mar 5, 2007, 12:20 GMT

Madonna and her husband film director Guy Ritchie arrive at the Vanity Fair Party following the Oscars Sunday evening February 25, 2007 in Hollywood, California. EPA/Jamie Rector

Madonna turned heads when she turned up to a Kabbalah fancy dress party dressed as a 1920s flapper girl, escorted by a camp policeman.

The 'Hung Up' singer's escort was in fact her director husband Guy Ritchie, who was wearing a tight police uniform complete with a 1970s-style moustache for the bash at the Los Angeles Kabbalah centre.

The party was held to celebrate the Jewish festival of Purim, which commemorates the foiling of an ancient plot to annihilate the Jews of the Persian Empire.

Madonna - who is a devout follower of Kabbalah, a mystical offshoot of Judaism - has caused outrage with her choice of outfit at the annual event in the past.

In 2005, the 48-year-old singer and her husband upset Catholic groups by dressing up as a nun and a priest for a Purim celebration in London.

William Donahue, president of the American Catholic League, insisted the couple should be beaten by a real life priest and nun for desecrating the scared attire.

He fumed at the time: "They're trying to tweak Catholicism again by exploiting the Jewish holiday.

"She needs to be beaten with a ruler by a real-life nun and he needs to paddled on his behind by a real-life priest."

Madonna was raised a Catholic before she converted to Kabbalah later in life.

(C) BANG Media International