Latest Review

Oceania's Eleven: Review by Sebastian Taylor

Basement Theatre, September 15-19 | 2026

CNZ’s funding has gone missing, and only one man has the skills to get it back.

In New Zealand every actor tends to be some kind of triple threat due to our lack of arts funding, but Vincent Andrew-Scammell has taken it a step further. Demonstrating true kiwi tenacity, he assumes the role of writer, director, actor, sound designer, and technical operator in order to bring Oceania’s Eleven to the stage; all while playing eleven characters (in fact, it’s even more than eleven if you include French people).

Solo shows with a cast of characters are a classic format for a Basement performance. Despite seeing so many, I’m still excited to watch the latest one, as they display the actor’s technical ability front and center. My question going into a solo show is always ‘can they pull it off?’ and the answer to that question rests on three things. The actor must be charming, I must be able to follow what’s happening, and there must be magic. The first two explain themselves, but when I say magic, I mean that I need my imagination to be engaged by something that delights and surprises me. In this case, the answer is a yes, he can pull it off—with one caveat. There were moments in the show I didn’t understand, however Vincent’s charm carried me through the rocky bits to an overall satisfying performance.

From the beginning of the show, it’s clear that Vincent is a charming performer. He holds the space with earnest confidence, which allows me to put my trust in him as he leads us through an increasingly zany heist-slash-fantasy adventure. His confidence is most notable when he breaks out of character to address the audience during a water break or a dropped line all without breaking the flow of the performance. These moments end up being some of the most charming in the show as I’d always rather watch a performer who can improvise and incorporate a ‘mistake’, than one who’s so scared of failure that they cling rigidly to the script. More importantly it gives me a sense of security that however chaotic the show gets, Vincent will always get us back on track.

The design of the show is plain and functional. The lighting serves to delineate between scene changes, and the audio functions similarly while also having added charm due to the fact that, true to the blurb, Vincent has recorded all the foley and music vocally himself. This is greatly appreciated, as the plot is hugely ambitious (as any great heist should be), and the design keeps us abreast of everything that’s happening throughout the brisk pace of the show. There were only a handful of moments when I couldn't quite keep up with the story, and this was as a result of a couple weaker characters in the cast. Vincent’s characters across the board were distinct and memorable, so it stood out when one of them didn’t meet the same bar he’d set for himself, as for the most part his transitions were seamless and satisfying.

The huge cast of characters is apt for the epic scale of the plot, and this results in a myriad of magical moments. You might not believe me, but I can confidently tell you that I visited the Louvre, watched the Tour de France, and climbed Mount Blanc all in the span of one hour at the Basement studio. The best moment of magic involved the iconic spy trope of a scientist giving the main character an armory of secret gadgets, which then sets up a Chekhov’s spy gadgets (and gun) that pays off in my favourite scene of the entire show. This exemplifies how Vincent leans fully into every trope available to him to pull off a massive story with maximum efficiency. The only trope I was missing was that of the femme fatale and I can only hope we get to see her in Oceania’s Twelve.

One of my greatest pet peeves is when a show lampshades its genre and acts like it’s too clever to use tropes, so the sincerity with which Vincent commits to every trope, character cliché, and fantastical element is a joy to watch. Other than Vincent’s strong performance, Oceania’s Eleven’s strength lies in its batshit plot, so I won’t spoil anything more other than to say that us kiwis can punch above our weight, and maybe even pull off the heist of the century.