Words and photos © 1993 by Steven Lungley
FEST MADNESS CONTINUES: The summer rolls along, and with it, all the attendant festivals. The third annual SummerWorks theatre festival (40 · shows! 200 performances! 11 days! Catch it while you can!) had an opening party at the Tarragon, with a lot of talent present. First up, hanging by the piano, in their own words, “from head cheese to toe jam,” the fest’s producers [036-001, l-r] Benj Gallander, Carol Pauker, Bryan Marrion and Mike O’Connor. In the crowd were [036-002, l-r] Robin Haggerty, seen in the company of actors Richard ‘ I’m also the director” Beauline, Leslie Stamp and Phil Rickaby, who are all in You Say Tomato. Caught doing the wrong thing in public view were [036-003] fun kids Christine Reeves (director of First World) going for an equal opportunity grope on actor Mackenzie Gray, who’s in Rumours of Our Death. Entertaining the entertainers for the evening were the delightful clown duo (bottom right, l-r) Bogs & Bailey (alias Linda Brokenshire and Anne Marie Scheffler). Can you ID anyone in the carousel of outages? Photos 036-005 to 036-015.
1920s REDUX: The latest salvo in the salon – the buzz word for new nightclubs – wars was fired last Thursday, with the opening of Rive Gauche at Fabulous Nobodies on Isabella. This attempt to bring together the eccentric and the eclectic in true ’20s style is brought to you by [036-016, l-r] the co-owner of Fab. Nobodies, David Vallee, and the has-been, once-was-but- not-sure-what promoter and host of the evening, Valma Pfaff. Also participating in the inaugural dress-up session were: [036-017, l-r] executive domestic engineer Shereen Woodworth with architect Paul Strain; and [036-018, l-r] chef Walter Gould and interior designer Therese Gould. Rive Gauche continued every Thursday.
![Promoter and host of the evening, Valma Pfaff [c] flanked by unidentified party-goers the opening of Rive Gauche at Fabulous Nobodies on Isabella in Toronto, August 1993.](https://eyespytoronto.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/036-022-Fabulous_Nobodies_Rive_Gauche_1993-F24©S-Lungley.jpg)
LOTSA BIG WORDS: A new literary quarterly, the Species Review, was given the heave-ho out into the public’s hands at the Rivoli last week. Caught hawking their new project were [036-032, l-r] managing editor Donald Cowper. Publishing editor Andrew Hayes and art director Andrew Rubin. Amongst the hawkees were [036-033, l-r] science fiction author Judith Merril, the author of Amnesia, Douglas Cooper, writer/contributor Christopher Dewdney and, celebrating the release of her fine first novel Minus Time, writer/contributor Catherine Bush. Christopher and Catherine also did readings for the audience. Wandering in off the street and caught hanging by the food was [036-034] musician Kyp Harness.
JOLLY GOOD TIME: One of Toronto’s oldest drinking establishments, The Jolly Miller, on Yonge near York Mills, celebrated their grand re-opening on Friday. The premises are said to be haunted, but I didn’t notice anything. Anyhow, greeting the crowd were [036-039, l-r] hostess/waitresses Liz Crim, Wendy Wolfe and Montana; and, waiting to be released on the public, [036-040, l-r] the all-John Cougar cover band Rumbleseat – Slinky, Tom Merk, Andy 0 and Bill Webber – the evening’s live entertainment.
![Singer Carole Pope, in the company of [l&r] guitarists Ken Myhr, and - from National Velvet - Tim Welch on opening night of Whisky Saigon in Toronto, August 1993](https://eyespytoronto.com/wp-content/uploads/apollo13_images/035-040_header-Whisky_Saigon_opening_93_R1_F05b-1-7r4igjgata81t2tea0os423ulyxalu70fe.jpg)
Steven Lungley(https://eyespytoronto.com)