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New Statesman
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Statesman
The Estate is a Westminster fever-dream
Photo by Helen Murray Fashioning art from the contemporary political scene is no mean feat. Politicians are up, then down, then up again, and ideas and policies are dreamed up as quicky as they are thrown out. The playwright Shaan Sahota's debut play, The Estate, makes a valiant attempt to turn politics into drama: there are moments that echo the frenzied chaos of July 2022, when the prospect of Boris Johnson's resignation seemed more like a Westminster feverdream than a political reality. Sahota's protagonist, Angad Singh, is the MP for Reading Central and shadow environment secretary (his party isn't identified). Angad, dexterously played by the Bafta-winning actor Adeel Akhtar, is a slight, asthmatic man, whose motivation for entering politics is unclear. The play opens in his office in Westminster, decked out with all the parliamentary trimmings (including green chairs, lanyards and visitor passes) in a set designed by Chloe Lamford. The leader of the opposition has just resigned over a sex scandal, throwing his party into a frenzy. Angad is immediately pressed to run for the leadership by his excessively keen staffers, who are more like caricatures from The Thick of It than developed, three-dimensional characters. But this is not the only drama consuming Angad. Early in the play, his father dies, and his spectre hangs over Angad throughout the show's two and a half hours. A Punjabi Sikh with a large property portfolio, Singh senior had high hopes for his only son: he sent him to Harrow and later supported him through Oxford. When Angad's two elder sisters, Malicka (Shelley Conn) and Gyan (Thusitha Jayasundera), discover they have been written out of their father's will, they spend the rest of the play locked in a war of attrition with their brother. The Estate is captivating and deeply unsettling. It dances confusingly between critiques of the roles played by race, class and gender in the British political system. Even so, it is a bracing exploration of the corrupting power of politics and a reminder that underneath it all, MPs are still human. The Estate National Theatre, London SE1 [See also: Miyako Yoshida's Giselle is a transfixing triumph] Subscribe to The New Statesman today from only £8.99 per month Subscribe Related
NZ Herald
23-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Runit Championship League event winner says $20k cash prize ‘gives us a head start' in life
Speaking to the Herald on Thursday, Betham said his body 'definitely felt it' after the event. The 26-year-old played rugby union throughout his schooling at Auckland's St Peter's College and Kelston Boys' High School, before being selected in the wider training squad of the NPC's Bay of Plenty Steamers. He moved to Christchurch, where he currently plays semi-professional-grade rugby league – and has gone on to represent Canterbury. Asked how the 'run it straight' event compared to a standard rugby league game, Betham said it was 'a lot harder, collision-wise'. 'On the footy field you've got people chucking on footwork, and they're trying to evade you almost. But this one was proper contact, you had to chuck a shoulder on something." But as he stood 20m away from his competitors, ready to brace for each of his jarring collisions, Betham said he felt 'really relaxed'. 'I think from the start, when they were taking us through the debriefs and all of that kind of stuff, I pretty much said to myself, 'Just play it simple, play it safe, don't try and go for the big hits because obviously that's when you or someone else could get hurt'. 'I was just playing it safe and if a big hit came, then it came.' And the big hits came aplenty, with the judging panel crowning Betham the unanimous winner of the night – taking home the significant cash prize and a spot in the final event next month with $200k up for grabs. In his acceptance speech on the night, Betham said the money would go towards giving back to his grandparents – a statement he echoed when speaking to the Herald. 'It means heaps, especially just [to be able to] give back to my grandparents and stuff. And then I guess it sort of gives us a head start in life, trying to be wise and [have the opportunity] to grow that $20k into something bigger.' Betham said he decided to enter the competition after seeing the staggering prize money on offer, and an opportunity to be a part of the sport's growing platform. He said the sport had a 'massive future' ahead, with plans for the league to travel to America, Saudi Arabia and the UK later in the year. 'Runit is doing an awesome job, especially for us blokes that love a bit of crash and bang. They're definitely doing a massive job and just big ups to them.' Combat sport condemned by leading doctors Leading neuroscientists have consistently condemned the concept since its inception. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) expert Dr Helen Murray told the Herald there is clearly 'a high risk of head injury in this event'. 'From a CTE standpoint, we know that exposure to repeated head acceleration events is the biggest risk factor for CTE pathology, and therefore finding ways to reduce these impacts in contact sports is a priority for player safety,' Murray said. 'It appears there is no attempt to mitigate head acceleration events in this activity and the risk of significant injury is high given the intent to collide, so I do not support it.' Professor Patria Hume, sports scientist and injury prevention expert at Auckland University of Technology, called the sport 'a step backwards' in athlete safety. 'We've spent years building evidence-based strategies to reduce head and neck injuries in rugby and contact sports. This event ignores all of that.' Advertisement Advertise with NZME. Stacey Mowbray, chief executive of Headway – a concussion and brain injury education charity – told the Herald the events present 'serious risk of traumatic brain injury or death'. 'Headway supports sports but run it straight is not a sport. It is a dangerous spectacle with an extremely high risk of brain injury. She believed promotional material and the event's format appear to 'deliberately target vulnerable communities' by offering large prize money as an incentive to participate. 'For many, particularly those under financial pressure, that's a difficult offer to refuse – even when the risk of serious harm is known.' 'No athlete should bear the burden': League says it covers all medical expenses In a statement to the Herald after the second trial night, a Runit Championship League spokesperson said the organisation was 'committed to the health, safety and well-being of every athlete who represents our brand'. Of the eight competitors on Wednesday, three were forced to retire with injuries – two of whom showed signs of a concussion. That was after one of the first competitors on Monday night's trial was knocked unconscious. 'We recognise that competing at the highest level comes with physical risks, and we firmly believe that no athlete should bear the burden of those risks alone,' the league said. They said the organisation covers 100% of all medical expenses directly related to injuries sustained while competing. 'In addition, if an athlete is unable to work due to a competition-related injury, we ensure their wages are fully paid during their recovery period. 'Our athletes are the heart of what we do, and we stand by them – on and off the field. Their commitment to excellence is matched by our commitment to their care.'
NZ Herald
28-04-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Neuroscientist condemns new ‘Run it straight' collision sport after man knocked out
The ball runner cops a shoulder to the head and slumps to the floor, before suffering what appears to be an involuntary repeat arm jerking movement on the ground as he is crowded by hundreds of spectators, including children. 'Dumbest game ever... And yet people [are] running out to celebrate over someone who almost lost his life,' one person commented on the video. 'The arm movement is called a reflex post that's a symptom of damage to or disruptions in brain activity,' another said. Others slammed the act as 'super dangerous' and that the man 'could have died'. One of New Zealand's leading neuroscientists and a chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) expert, Dr Helen Murray, told the Herald there is clearly 'a high risk of head injury in this event'. 'From a CTE standpoint, we know that exposure to repeated head acceleration events is the biggest risk factor for CTE pathology, and therefore, finding ways to reduce these impacts in contact sports is a priority for player safety,' Murray said. 'It appears there is no attempt to mitigate head acceleration events in this activity, and the risk of significant injury is high given the intent to collide, so I do not support it.' Murray also said she would 'never support' celebrating such an injury as suffered by the individual in the video. The Herald has approached the event's organisers for comment on the man's condition and the status of the event. It comes as a similar event touted as the 'world's fiercest new collision sport' is set to come to New Zealand next month. The RUNIT Championship League is due to host its inaugural live tournament in Melbourne on Wednesday, with eight people - including NRL and Super Rugby stars - competing for a grand prize of $20,000. It will cross the Tasman on May 25, before going to the United States, Saudi Arabia and England later in the year. It involves one runner and one tackler running full speed at each other on a 20m x 4m 'battlefield', designed for 'maximum action and non-stop intensity'. 'Victory belongs to the one who dominates the collision.' RUNIT told the Herald the incident captured in the video was not in any way related to them and called it 'quite distressing'. 'The video we felt was horrendous, and backyard events such as that one was very disappointing to see.' It said RUNIT was a professionally arranged combat sport in which athletes – selected based on trial days and merit of prior representative rugby league and union backgrounds – go through a 'thorough screening process'. 'Yes, a knockout can potentially occur – but this is not the aim of our game. The aim is to dominate contact – whether you bump someone over or land a good clean hit,' organisers said. 'We disallow tackles below the waist and above the shoulders. A knockout like any other combat sport is a by-product. Unlike other combat sports however – it is not our aim.' They said they felt their sport was safer than the likes of rugby league and AFL. Advertise with NZME. 'Athletes are screened by a doctor pre and post matches, medics are present, and medical waivers inclusive of drug and blood tests are completed prior to any participation. Athletes train (or) are currently active players.' RUNIT said mouthguards were compulsory. Headgear was optional. The competition had top players such as former international rugby league prop and NRL Grand Final winner George Burgess taking on Super Rugby powerhouse Nemani Nadolo on Wednesday night in the Melbourne event. 'It highlights the level of differentiation between our league and these other backyard type events. 'What we saw on that video is thoroughly disappointing - the lack of care, the filming and running in of children and spectators whilst a man was clearly seizing up on the ground.' According to the website, when a person experiences an impact that's strong enough to cause traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as a concussion, their arms often go into an unnatural position. 'This position — forearms extended or flexed, usually in the air — follows the impact and is known as the fencing response position. It lasts up to several seconds after the collision. 'The fencing response is often seen when a player is knocked down or knocked out during full-contact athletic competitions such as football, martial arts, boxing, rugby, and hockey.'
