Review - Picasso at the Lapin Agile - People's Theatre

Picasso at the Lapin Agile 

People's Theatre

3rd March, 2026

A play with an intriguing title, staged in the People's Theatre studio, was always going to be something a little bit different. When you then add the writer - Steve Martin - it becomes a little bit more different.

The stage is set as a bar - with the audience on two sides. The front rows are cafe tables - and throughout the play characters come over to address members of the audience - at times acknowledging that they are, in fact,  in a play. 

Set in the Lapin Agile bar in Paris at the beginning of the 20th Century, the play centres around the meeting (as imagined by the writer) of two geniuses (genii?) Einstein and Picasso. Both at the beginning of their careers, both experts in their very different fields: Picasso the artist and Einstein the scientist. They see the world in different ways. They clash. 

As they argue and theorize about the world and the universe, other characters add their own views - sometimes relevant, sometimes not! Freddie (Ian Willis) the owner of the bar is intent on getting his customers to pay their bar bills - few do. Gaston (Jim Boylan), a regular customer bemoans the aging process and the limitations it brings to life. Suzanne (Helen Doyle) a young American besotted with and seduced by Picasso, is entranced by his charm and fame, and foolish enough to think that she is the only one. Sagot (Matthew Shepherd), Picasso's agent, drops the monetary value of art into the conversation at every opportunity. His interest is purely financial - the beauty of the art is measured by how much he can make from it. While these characters make their observations and spout their views, Germaine, (Rhiannon Wilson) the waitress cuts through them all - speaking the truth and undercutting their egocentricity - no-one escapes her attention, especially not Picasso. 

As the characters come and go, Picasso and Einstein continue to argue over the nature of beauty and the universe - who captures it best - the artist or the scientist? It would seem they may come to blows - and yet in the end, with the help of a visitor they come to see the beauty of the stars together. 

As you'd perhaps expect from Steve Martin, the humour is quirky. There are some hilarious one liners,  and some very strange juxtapositions (not least the premise that Einstein and Picasso might meet in a bar). At times it is difficult to follow - the characters philosophize and theorize one moment and tell bad jokes the next. The dialogue is fast paced and takes some concentration to keep up! 

On the surface, you could take it as an alternative comedy sketch (am I the only one to remember "alternative comedy"?) but under the surface there is so much more going on. Martin's intellect shines out asking big questions about the world and humanity and where we sit in the universe, and yet he does it with laughter and hope. 

This is a comedy that will have you laughing, but also wondering what on earth it is all about! 

*images by Paul Hood

Denise Sparrowhawk

Preview - Picasso at the Lapin Agile - People's Theatre

 Two geniuses walk into a bar … 

Next week at the People’s Theatre in Heaton: PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE by Steve Martin

What happens when the future of art and the future of science order drinks at the same Parisian bar?!

PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE imagines a delightfully impossible evening in 1904 Paris, where a young Pablo Picasso (Peter Dawson) and unknown patent clerk Albert Einstein (Jamie Cordes) cross paths at the legendary Lapin Agile.

Picasso is still sketching toward Cubism, Einstein is still scribbling toward relativity, but both can feel the universe tilting in their direction.

When the two collide, sparks fly and egos flare. The result is a smart, whimsical comedy that bursts with verbal fencing, philosophical mischief, and Steve Martin’s signature blend of razor wit and gleeful absurdity.

In his first play for the stage, Steve Martin (Saturday Night Live, Only Murders in the Building) crafts an evening that is as thoughtful as it is hilarious. Smart, silly, and surprising, this is an entertaining exploration of art, science, creativity, ego, and destiny.

Tickets are available from the People’s Theatre Box Office on 0191 265 5020 (option 2) and online at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk

 

Review - The Mirror Crack'd - People's Theatre

The Mirror Crack'd

People's Theatre

20th January, 2026

The Mirror Crack'd transports us to a changing St Mary Mead - the quaint village has been invaded by new housing at The Development, and Hollywood stars who have taken over Gossington Hall. Each one has had an unwelcome effect on the status quo of the village. The Development has brought working class incomers, supermarkets and featureless housing, and distrust, while Hollwood has brought excitement, intrigue, brash glamour ...and, of course, murder. 

The murder victim is a local woman of no interest other than the fact that she has been murdered at the party thrown by Hollywood star Marina Gregg. 

As the investigation begins, the assumption is made that Heather Leigh has been murdered by mistake and that the obvious intended victim is none other than Marina Gregg. After all, it was Marina's fatally poisoned strawberry daiquiri that Heather drank, was it not? And what reason would anyone have to murder a nobody such as Heather Leigh? 

The suspects are identified - everyone who was at the party is questioned. Marina's husband is the key suspect; perhaps he needed money to fund his film-making and would inherit Marina's fortune? Or perhaps her staff held a grudge - she was a difficult person to work for.  Even Miss Marple's friend, Dolly, who has given up her home to these brash American's. No-one is beyond suspicion except Marina herself and Cyril Leigh, Heather's husband, a man of as little significance as his mistakenly murdered wife.  He is constantly brushed aside despite his many attempts to speak to Chief Inspector Craddock. 

The play is cleverly staged with the "off-stage" characters always visible, seated at the back of the stage and brought forward to replay their part in the events as required, and alongside them are the props and sound effects, doorbells and telephones ringing, doors banging... But watch carefully - not everyone is in view all of the time and perhaps, if the  audience is paying attention they may garner a clue or two in among the waiting props and characters? Who can tell? 

It's an interesting play. Miss Marple, hampered by a sprained ankle, is not quite at her sleuthing best and appears more affected by the train of events than is usual in previous mysteries. It almost feels as if the murder and its solution are almost secondary to the themes that are revealed.  Love and loss, parenthood, the nature of friendship, and of loyalty, are all key in this strange coming together of social classes. It is more about what appears to be true rather than what actually is true, and of the assumptions that are made based on people's social standing. The face that people show to the world is not always their true self, and sometimes the truly real people are barely seen at all. 

There are many red herrings, and of course a twist that you (hopefully) won't see coming at all. But Miss Marple, despite her distraction, eventually knits it all together. Sterling performances by all the cast who kept us guessing to the end in this clever and imaginatively produced play. 

The Mirror Crack'd runs until Saturday 24th January and is an excellent start to the People's new season. 

*images by Paul Hood

Denise Sparrowhawk

Preview - The Mirror Cracke'd - People's Theatre

Coming to the People's Theatre next week...

A movie star, a cocktail party, and a puzzle only Miss Marple can solve!

A thrilling tale of scandal, lies, and murder comes alive at the People’s Theatre in Agatha Christie’s iconic mystery THE MIRROR CRACK’D.

Hollywood comes to St Mary Mead when a glamorous American film star moves into the village, only for a deadly poisoning to shatter the calm.

As suspicion spreads and secrets surface, Miss Marple must use all of her wits to piece together the truth behind a crime rooted in jealousy, obsession, and tragedy. Can she get to the truth before it’s too late?

 

Full of mounting suspense and Christie’s trademark twists, this fresh adaptation of the classic whodunnit is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seats!

 

Tickets are available from the People’s Theatre Box Office on 0191 265 5020 (option 2) and online at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk

Review - Wizard of Oz - People's Theatre

The Wizard of Oz

People's Theatre

13th December 2025

This year's Panto at The People's Theatre is The Wizard of Oz. It's a move away from the more traditional fairy tale pantomime, that is to say it is not the usual handsome prince falls in love and saves his heart's desire from an evil witch/queen/wizard and they get married and live happily ever after...

There are witches and wizards, some good, some not so good, and one is a sort of fairy godmother, or witchy godmother if we're being fair. And there is plenty of danger and enchantment. 

The panto follows the original story of Dorothy's adventures in the land of Oz pretty accurately, with the addition of Hickory, Dickory and Dock as the farm hand characters who transform into the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion and who provide the panto characters who engage with the audience most - the "Buttons" type character. The main one being the Scarecrow who initiates the call and response with the audience each time he comes on stage. Jess Chapman plays this really well, creating a good rapport with the audience and delivering some great jokes and puns along the way, supported by Alison Carr as the Tin Man, whose comic delivery shines throughout the show, and Joe Moore is engaging as the loveable scaredycat Lion. 

Ian Willis as Aunty Em/Glinda the Good provides both the "fairy godmother" and the "panto dame" 
roles. His sparkly pink Glinda frock is a sight to behold. She pops up when needed to sprinkle a little good magic to help the story on its way.  The evil element is provided by Hattie Eason as Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch of the West, with her minion Winkie, the flying monkey (Rachel Potts). Her shrill laughter is enough to scar the bravest of children in the audience! 

Uncle Henry/the Mighty Oz is played by Steve Parry - the gentle Uncle a contrast to the bumptious Wizard, though his kinder side does show once Toto reveals his true identity! Erin Hattrick is a competent Dorothy,  and last but not least, Toto the dog is an endearing puppet operated by Rosa Cole - which is definitely more reliable than having a real dog and handler on stage! 

There is plenty of music with the show starting with a boot stomping line dance number to Steps 5-6-7-8. And the refrain throughout the show of Is This the Way to the Emerald City (amarillo).  (Though considering Glinda's Scottish accent I was a little disappointed not to have a Proclaimers' number in there - walking 500 miles surely was a dead cert?)  

The costumes are fabulous - from the gingham and denim farm wear to the rainbow sparkles and poppy petals of the dancers,. The sets are well presented from The mundane farm in Kansa....erm...Heaton, to the enchanted land of Oz. I loved the twister scene with the cacophony of music and weather as stage hands spun the scenery around creating the tornado that transports Dorothy to Oz and lands her house on the Wicked witch of the East, and the beautiful poppy field scene with dancers providing the soporific poppies to enchant Dorothy and her friends, and then snow floating from the skies to save them. 

Finally the Wizard's Head is an impressive piece of giant puppetry  and a credit to the set designers. 

This is quite different for a pantomime. there is a definite story to be told though it does still have the good versus evil, and audience participation but it feels less structured than the traditional format, and at times it felt that the "panto" elements were being shoehorned in. There are still lots of jokes and innuendo but it's all a bit more subtle and sometimes the jokes were missed by the audience which is a shame because this is more sophisticated humour than you'd normally see in panto. 

That said, the audience on opening night was fully engaged - with plenty of booing for the wicked witch and clearly the supporters clubs for the dance troups were all present in the audience, which definitely added to the atmosphere! 

If you want something a little bit different to the usual panto fayre then the People's Panto might be just the show you need to see! 

It runs until 21st December - and you will need to book in advance to be sure of a seat! 

Book online here.   

*images by Paul Hood

Denise Sparrowhawk

 

Review - Goldilocks and the Three Bears - Little Theatre

Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Little Theatre

11th December, 2025

Presented by Lee Brannigan Productions

Written by Philip Meeks and Lee Brannigan

Directed by Lee Brannigan

Musical Director John Hudson

Choreography Chantal McCartney

Well, here we are at panto time of year again! Oh yes we are! And doesn't it seem to come round faster and faster each year? Feels like we've barely had time to sweep up the fairy dust from last season before we're back again...bit less glamorous this year, we'll likely be mopping up elephant pee...(more of that later!) 

This year's panto from Lee Brannigan Productions is Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I've never seen a Goldilocks panto before and I did wonder about the storyline - there's no handsome prince to sweep a girl off her feet in the story of Goldilocks and the three bears and the story I remember as a kid was pretty brief, Goldilocks was a bit of a naughty girl who never did as she was told, always getting into trouble, doing stuff she wasn't supposed to do - like wandering off into the woods and eating other people's porridge! So how would that translate into a good versus evil, good overcomes evil, fairy godmother saves the day kind of show? Well, it doesn't exactly but when has sticking to the plot ever been the most important thing in a panto?

 

So how do we get a girl with Golden curls and three bears into a panto plot? Easy - we all run away to a circus!  

Dame Bella has inherited her husband's circus and his fortune. Unfortunately the once fabulously popular circus has fallen on hard times, audiences are sparse, and the takings are slim, but there is still money in the honeypot so things are not too grim just yet. But, (and isn't there always a but?) a rival circus comes to town, with an evil ringmaster who wants to be the only circus in town! He tries bribery and threats to convince Bella to sell up, but she's having none of his shenanigans! But (oh, there's another one!) with ticket sales non-existant and the honey pot of money stolen (I wonder how that happened?) Bella now needs to find a new act to save the circus. Enter stage left, three talented bears to save the day. They're a sensation and the Circus is saved! Hurrah for the circus! (I squeezed in a little Enid Blyton reference there, those of you of a certain age might have spotted it!) But no! Not hurrah! Because you all forgot about the evil rival ringmaster, didn't you? (oh yes, you did!) He plots a devious plan to kidnap baby bear, lure her parents away from Bella and force them to work in his own circus, which means, of course, that Bella and her crew have to plot a rescue mission so that evil is defeated and everyone can live happily ever after! ( You see, we got the gist of a panto plot in there after all!) 

Obviously all this doesn't happen without some magic, some singing and dancing, some jokes (really, really bad jokes!) and a lot of silliness - a bit of shouting, a bit of screaming, and a lot of laughing and booing. Audience participation is key in a panto and I have to say, the cast had their work cut out on Thursday night. I think there were probably more adults than children in the house that night and it took some encouragement for the grown ups to find their inner child! You can't not join in at the Little Theatre Panto - it's too small, there's nowhere to hide, and Bella and the cast are very, very good at breaking the fourth wall and engaging the audience. 

Which brings me nicely to the characters - 

Ringmaster Schnizzlehouser (not easy to say, and even harder to type!) played by Chris McCreery is a fabulously evil bad guy. He oozes onto the stage, full of charm and smooth talk, and yet instantly recognisable as the baddy, eliciting a cacophony of boos and hisses from the audience! He gives a blinding performance - particularly in the opening number in act two which got him a rousing round of applause, despite the fact that he is the bad guy and we really should have been booing! Showing that not only can he do a fabulously awful evil accent, but he can also sing like an angel! 

Fannie the Fortuneteller is the alternative good fairy/fairy godmother in the tale. She brings the magic, that doesn't always go as planned, down to earth, outspoken, Fannie is the glue that binds the Cannyville circus together. Melissa Cavanagh brings such a warmth to the role and her physical humour is  hilarious. 

Goldilocks is played by Laura Fulgenzi. I've seen Laura in other shows and I know how good she is, but I think she has a tough gig with this one, because she's fighting that old chestnut of the leading female role in panto not being very demanding - you mostly just need to look pretty and be rescued. Goldilocks makes a valiant attempt to break out of this but it's a tough gig! That said Laura's performance is solid - she sings and dances her way into danger and back out again with flair! 

The Three Bears are cute and just what you'd expect - a slightly spoilt Baby Bear (Megan Laing) sways from cute to brattish and back again, Mammy Bear (Dawn Wolfe) is kind and reassuring, and super protective of her family, Daddy Bear ( Justin Alistair Ward) is rather grumpy, tries to be a bit authoritarian but mostly get over-ruled in the nicest way by Mammy Bear, and he has the most beautiful singing voice! 

Silly Willy provides most of the slapstick and silliness throughout - alongside his baby elephant Peanut. Don't ask what he feeds him on! Especially, if you're in the front rows. (see earlier mention of mopping up Elephant pee...that's all I am saying!) Rhodri James brings a lovely gentle sense of fun to the show, with his terrible jokes and slapstick humour. 

Dame Bella Big Topp - still the most glamorous Dame of all no matter what the panto might be, keeps the show zinging along with quips and innuendo that could make your hair curl, dressed in an array of costumes that sparkle and wigs that defy gravity at times (at least one wig that succumbs to the gravitational pull!).

Supporting through out are the dancers, choreographed by Chantal McCartney who bring a little bit of sparkle and in Act Two a bit of scary! If you don't like clowns, beware! 

The sets and scenery are great - I especially loved the minibus ride to Sunderland, comic genius from the set designers!  (And being from Sunderland I love all the Wear wolf jokes!)  

As always this company have produced a show with big heart in a little theatre. the cast give 100% throughout and they will have you screaming with laughter, (and occasionally gasping with surprise at the jokes). 

Don't forget, if you have seats in the front half, take a raincoat! 

You might be lucky and find some tickets available but it's a sell out pretty much every year so get booked for next year now to avoid disappointment! 

Denise Sparrowhawk

Review - Orca - People's Theatre

Orca

People's Theatre

24th November, 2025

Written by Matt Grinter 

Directed by Sara Jo Harrison 

Music by Craig Fairbairn and Rhiannon Wilson 

Cast: Holly Stamp

Minnie Dobson

Mark Burden

Ashton Matthews

Sean Burnside

Rhiannon Wilson

"The Devil smiled and marvelled this,

How loud, how vile silence is."

Orca is set in an unnamed village, on an unnamed island. It is a small island, a tight knit community with longstanding traditions. It These superstitions and traditions hold the community together, but they also hide a dark secret which could destroy the community. Maggie has spoken out to try to reveal the truth behind the traditions and has been ostracized by the village, making life difficult for her family.

Powerfully written, Orca raises questions about the power of men and the powerlessness of women. It explores the abuse of power by those in authority, creating fear to further their own agenda, hiding misdeeds behind a veil of respectability. But it also examines the herd mentality, which sees people band together against a threat and be blinded to the true nature of that threat. 

Women's voices are more than not heard, they are silenced and those who should be protecting the children are complicit in the silence.

The studio is perfect for this production. As the audience enters we are met with a rustic scene, wooden floors, two huge wooden pillars, fishing nets draped against the wall, and the cast members already in situ -  we have to pass them to get to our seats. With the audience seated on 3 sides around a set that almost touches the front rows, it is immersive and a little claustrophobic; there is nowhere for the audience to hide as this dark story unfolds.  

The cast are all superb.  From the naively excited Fan played by Holly Stamp, to the older, and sadly wiser, Maggie and Gretchen. Minnie Dobson and Ashton Matthews capture the anger and trauma of the girls with complete conviction. While Mark Burden as Joshua seethes with explosive anger - Joshua is more like his elder daughter than he might care to admit. Sean Burnside meanwhile is menacingly restrained as The Father. 

Underscoring all of this is the soundscape of the sea and the mother's song -  a folk song especially composed for this production - Rhiannon Wilson's plaintive voice resonates around the set. With the sound of waves crashing against the shore and the words of the song hinting at the secrets below the surface, it is potently atmospheric. 

Orca deals with some extremely difficult themes. It asks questions that we may not be comfortable with. After the burst of applause, the audience left the auditorium quietly, which I think is a telling reaction for the play and the performances. 

A thought provoking 90 minutes, Orca plays until 29th November.  Go and see it. 

Tickets are available at www.peoplestheatre.co.uk .

*Images by Paul Hood

Denise Sparrowhawk

Review - Bleak Expectations - People's Theatre

Bleak Expectations 

People's Theatre 

18th - 22nd November

It has to be said that this week has been one of mixed fortunes. Lots of demands at work and home, added to that the worst weather in quite some time - meaning roads were blocked with slow moving traffic queues, or worse stationary traffic queues due to snow and ice, so late to work, then late home again  ...and then my internet decided to play up, maybe that was the weather too? Who knows! But it has felt as if the gods and fate were against me which is how poor Philip Bin must have been feeling in the early years of his life ...as told by his older self, Sir Philip Bin, at The People's Theatre this week, and which I was meant to have reviewed before now but see the above for reasons to be so tardy. 

Bleak Expectations is a Dickensian drama with a twist - it takes all the great ideas from Dicken's novels and blends them together into a hilarious parody. Known for dropping misfortune on his unsuspecting characters - from poor Oliver Twist, through Nicholas Nickelby to Philip Pirrip - Dickens tales are remorseless. In Bleak Expectations his characters and stories are mined and processed and reformed into an even more exaggerated but infinitely more amusing tale. Philip Bin is a boy whose happy life is turned upside down by the sudden - and somewhat suspicious - death of his father. Pip and his siblings are taken under the wing of his father's business partner, the odious and ironically named Gently Benevolent. 

The play is filled with jokes, puns, double entendres and ridiculously named, outlandish characters. It is  cleverly written, a tale of Victorian melodrama viewed through a 21srt century lens. Ridiculous and hilarious, it pokes fun at the Victorian double standards and dubious morals. Perfectly cast from Roger Liddle as the aging Sir Pilip Bin, and Thomas Kelly ( using his Sunday name) to Helen Parker as the joyfully mad Agnes Bin, it's impossible to single out any one performance. Everything on stage and off, cast, crew, props, sound and light, costumes, combine to create an almost perfect performance. 

Even the audience contributed on the night I was there with a women somewhere in the auditorium laughing loudly at every innuendo with the best, most raucous laugh (I was beginning to think she was planted). 

It has been a bright spot in my week - before the snow hit and life started looking bleak! If you've had a similar week to mine I'd urge you to make the effort to go see the final performance. If you're quick you might just make it for curtain up at 7.30pm. 

Excellent preparation for the upcoming panto season! Harrumble for great theatre just around the corner!

Denise Sparrowhawk

Review - Skylight - Little Theatre

Skylight 

Little Theatre

10th November, 2025

Written by David Hare

Directed by Tim Clark

Cast: 

Tom Sergeant - Mark Buckley

Kyra Hollis - Suzanne Jennings

Edward Sergeant - Lewis Connor Ryan

This week I have been back to The Little Theatre in Gateshead, home to the Progressive Players. I've not been to this lovely theatre for a while and David Hare's Skylight was a worthy play to temp me back. 

The play takes place in the run-down flat of teacher Kyra Hollis. It's cold and damp and is not in the best area. Into this flat come two unexpected visitors; first Edward Sergeant, and then his father, Tom. We learn from Edward that Kyra was once an important part of their family, that his mother has died, and that his father Tom is not coping. Edward and Tom have argued and eighteen year old Edward has left home. He comes to Kyra hoping that she might help.  Later that evening Tom arrives. We learn that he and Kyra had been having an affair, and Alice, Tom's wife and Kyra's friend discovered this, forcing Kyra's departure from their lives. The play is an exploration of their relationship as they rediscover themselves and find that, though they still love each other, they want different things from life. 

This production by the Progressive Players is superb, from the authenticity of set, to the performances of the three actors. Three strong performances from the cast keep the audience engaged throughout. Under the careful direction of Tim Clarke the tension rises and falls, as the characters overcome their initial awkwardness and wariness, reliving memories - of good times and bad - slowly unfolding their history to the audience. It is emotional - anger, frustration, joy and relief, punctuated with moments of humour. 

The play explores themes of love, loyalty, betrayal and trust, questioning the norms of family life, but also of society, where the rich and influential can be completely cut off from the reality of life for those less fortunate. Although it was written in 1995 the themes resonate today. 

It runs until Saturday 15th November. Tickets are available online, or from the box office on the night. I recommend buying in advance to avoid disappointment! 

Denise Sparrowhawk

Review - Home, I'm Darling - People's Theatre

Home, I'm Darling 

People's Theatre

30th Sept, 2025

Written by Laura Wade

Directed by Eileen Davidson

Laura Wade's play follows the lives of Judy and Johnny who have taken the rather bizarre decision to live a 1950s lifestyle, not just in the decoration of their home and their fashion choices, but every aspect - Judy aspires to be a genuine 1950s wife, maintaining a pristine home and waiting on her husband, pandering to his every need. Johnny meanwhile gets to go out to work every day and earn a living to keep them in this  - as it turns out - extravagant lifestyle. 

As the play progresses we start to see that what began as a 6 month experiment has become something of an obsession and what should have been an ideal lifestyle is infact rather unhealthy and claustrophobic. It is billed as a dark comedy, but I must confess I found the whole premise to be a little sinister and uncomfortable - watching a modern women willingly give up on the hard won rights to not be tied to the kitchen, fawning over a man and putting his comfort before her own was a step too far for me, and my sympathies were entirely with Judy's mum, Sylvia. 

Jo McEvedy's portrayal of righteous exasperation and fury is a joy to see and she is the character I mostliked in this play, alongside Fran, whose forthright honesty also appealed. It was difficult to find any empathy for the two main characters, despite accomplished performances by Kay Edmundson and Sam Burrell. 

The real stars of the show for me were the set, which is magnificent, the costumes, which are fabulous, and the music which punctuates each scene and adds a lightness to the production. These absolutely make the show. 

Home I'm Darling, as it's title might suggest, turns things on their heads and looks at marriage values and equality from a strange angle. Maybe it works for some - it is an award winning script - but it didn't quite work for me - and judging from a couple of overheard comments as I was leaving, it left one or two others a little bemused too. Thought provoking, certainly, but not laughter inducing this time. 

Playing until 4th October, it's a bold choice for the first mainstage production of the new season and the team at the People's have never shied away from bold choices.  

Denise Sparrowhawk