Last night Leona Lewis played her first ever British live date at Hackney Empire - right round the corner from where she grew up, innit? - and we were lucky enough to nab a ticket. Here's the lowdown on her performance.

What did she sing?
Well, it was a short but sweet affair offering a nice mix of the old and the new. You may as well have the full setlist, we suppose: 'Brave', 'Whatever It Takes', 'Better In Time', 'Happy', 'Bleeding Love', 'I Got You', 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face', 'Outta My Head' and 'Run' as her encore.

What were the production values like?
It was all pretty ritzy for a theatre gig. The obligatory giant video screen was present and correct, Leona was flanked by a troupe of dancers for several numbers, and she appeared as a 20ft hologram at the start of 'Happy'. Oh, and having clearly hired The X Factor's dry ice machine for the night, she proceeded to get more than her money's worth. Well, you can take the girl out of Hackney...

What's Leona like onstage?
OK, so she doesn't banter like Robbie or gyrate like Britney, but Leona still makes a winning impression. She's sweet, gracious and more animated than you might expect - she's no static Stacey, you'll be glad to know.

Were the new tunes any good?
Very. 'Brave' was a suitably Leona-ish power ballad and 'I Got You' was a hook that could catch a killer whale, but the real revelation was 'Outta My Head', a Europop thumper on which Leona attempted - and pulled off - a full dance routine. In fact, it was probably the highlight of the entire concert.

How did Leona sound?
Without wishing to sacrifice our reviewer's impartiality entirely, she sounded absolutely bloody fantastic. The money notes in 'Happy'? Hit every one. 'Bleeding Love'? Smashed it, as Dannii Minogue would say. 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face'? Her vocals, well, brace yourself for a simile... they were as rich and velvety as a Valrhona hot chocolate.

Are you going to slap a star rating on it?
Oh go on then, if you insist...