All our worlds are only staged
Can’t remember who said it.
Was it Billy ‘two hats’, one removed
His Tommy Cooper fez, just one bit
Billy Dury and The Healers, revealing eyes
Reciting stories to the rock and roll beat
Dancing on the stage with secrets and lies
Water Rats renewed, full of canned heat
Once upon a time, many years ago
Wind in the Willows down by the river
Lessons learned from Pentameters show
Many hearts inside, come to be a giver
Repeating, leaping, beaming that story
Warming sounds and words, everybody!
© Christopher 2026
The site of The Water Rats, has had an impressive legacy as a music venue, but also as a location of historical importance and interest.
It was previously known as “The Pindar of Wakefield”, originally built in 1517, on the opposite side of the road, it shared it’s name with the Pinder of Wakefield (a person whose job was to impound stray animals), supposedly connected with Robin Hood mythology. It also shares it’s name with the historical Pindar’s fort, a local site believed to be beneath the Mount Pleasant Post Office.
Having been Badly damaged in a thunderstorm in 1793. It was rebuilt at it’s current site. The existing building, built in 1878 was once patronised by both Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx (who apparently boarded in in one of the rooms above). Both were figures, whose ideologies were greatly influential in world affairs throughout the twentieth century, and still resonate now.
Until the 1980s it housed a regular “Old Time Music Hall”, supposedly hosting parties during the “Blitz” to raise morale. In December 1962, Bob Dylan made his debut UK performance at the venue. Twenty years later in October 1982, The Pogues (then known as the Pogue Mahones) had their first performance here.
In 1986 the premises were bought by “The Grand Order of Water Rats”, a showbiz charity organisation, who have had legends such as Charles Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy, Norman Wisdom and current “King Rat” Rick Wakeman within their ranks. And so, the venue’s name was changed to “The Water Rats”. Many other bands have added to the rich tapestry of the venue’s history, Including the London debuts of both “Oasis” in January 1994, and “The Beta Band” in July 1997. Adding to these, Katy Perry, The Courteeners and Ra Ra Riot also appeared here prior to international success.
Aline Waites started Aba Daba Music Hall, the first fully professional pub theatre company, at the Mother Redcap, Camden Town, and from 1970 at the Pindar of Wakefield Theatre in Gray’s Inn Road. This venue (now the Water Rats) was purpose built for the company. In 1980 Waites produced a political twice nightly revue for Kennedy’s in the Kings Road called Downstairs at Kennedy’s. A new project at Underneath The Arches in Southwark, begun in 1991, continued until 1996. The music hall performances were at first traditional, but soon became well known for their radical nature.
Her life partner for many years was Robin Hunter. With him, Waites created political pantomimes each year for the Pindar, The Arches and the Canal Cafe Theatre. Together they wrote twenty five shows. With Hunter and John Gould she wrote Hit the Fan or Not the News Revue, performed at the Canal Cafe.
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