Her work isconcerned with notions of identity, our place in society, our spiritual questand everyday psychosis. Questions, often confrontational, are being asked in abrutal, stylised dream like reality. Her vision is raw yet carefullychoreographed holding the emotional body as the core centre of her voyeuristicoffering.

TheFrench-Caribbean artist Valerie Renay spent half her life in London where shetrained as an actress with stars’ guru Phillippe Gaulier whose past studentsinclude Sasha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter and Emma Thomson.

Now based inBerlin, she produces work as her alter ego ‘Femme Façade’ making regularappearances at international Performance and Theatre Festivals such as Contradança Asta Festival/Portugal, Pavillion/Bucharest, Hebbel Theatre and SophiensaelTheatre/Berlin, Interregnum Live Art Festival/Copenhagen, The New Burlesque Festival, Copenhagen, as well as UndergroundClubs, Fashion Shows, and Art Galleries.

In London,Valerie devised work and performed internationally with Pacitti Company (SpillFestival/ London) Marisa Carnesky (Ghost Train), Clod Ensemble, Gary Stevens,Joshua Sofaer, La Ribot, Song Theatre and also hosted cabaret nights (Whoopee).She stars in Edwin Brienen’s art house movie L’amour Toujours (2008).

Before startingher band Noblesse Oblige she ran her own theatre company In Bed All Day(1997/2003) gave acting classes and lead ‘creative voice & movement’workshops.

Valerie currentlyleads ‘Body & Mind training Sessions’ an adaptable training influenced andinspired by her personal practice and knowledge of: Body Weather, Contact ImproDance, and physical Theatre (Derevo, Yoshi Oida)

Femme Façadecurrently available shows:

"My Blood Is ThickerThan Yours" - 40 minute solo with live music

Femme Façade’slatest performance intertwines the result of her research into ritualisticpractices such as voodoo with her own quest for a meaningful life. In herstylised world Valerie in turn ‘Great Priestess’, or deceived woman, exploresthe notion of belief, female power, ethnicity, life, and death. The concept ofceremony, sacrifice, symbolic act of purification are revisited accompanied bytribal rhythms, loaded text and choreographed actions.

“Possessed”- 40 min solo with live music

A surreal journey through human psyche,flirting with different notions of identity. Different femme, different façade,ever changing, morphing, playing. The same always. Exposed intimacy. Human.Wanting, waiting, hoping, laughing, crying.

A story of compulsions displaying good timing, stylised actions and stylishaesthetic.

“I live in a monochrome world. My obsessions are clandestine, my desires,stripped down, I will tell you a secret or two, will bare my soul to you butthere is a gun in my pocket and a charming little blue vein along your wrist”.

Femme Façade isalso available for talks/Q&A/Workshops