A.I.M (An Invisible Mission)

A.I.M. (An Invisible Mission), now showing at the Etcetera Theatre as part of this year’s Camden Fringe, is a clever, fast-paced and completely wordless spy adventure that proves high drama doesn’t require high budgets. With just two performers, zero dialogue, and a small box of odd objects, the show takes the audience on a whirlwind mission through danger, romance, and espionage—all without ever leaving the tiny black box theatre.

At the centre of the action is Bai Zhijin, who plays a rookie secret agent with a mix of urgency, charm, and total physical commitment. Through a brilliant blend of mime, slapstick and stylised movement, he manages to convey everything from high-speed chases to moments of quiet introspection, without uttering a single line. Every action is deliberate and choreographed with the sort of precision that makes it both funny and surprisingly emotionally engaging.

Alongside him is Jessica Perry, who creates the entire world of the show through sound. Live onstage, she transforms everyday objects into cinematic sound effects: a straw becomes a blow dart, a balloon mimics a speeding motorbike, and a plastic bag somehow conjures the rush of a train tunnel. Her presence is as much a part of the storytelling as Zhijin’s movement, and together they form a remarkably in-sync duo, always reacting to and riffing off each other in real time.

The story itself is deliberately simple: a new agent is thrown into the deep end with a high-stakes mission that spirals out of control, just as he begins to fall for a mysterious contact. It’s all delivered with a wink, borrowing tropes from classic spy thrillers while playing up the absurdity of the genre. The pacing is brisk, the humour lands often, and there are moments of surprising physical ingenuity that make the most of the limited space and resources.

The only slight misfire is the show’s ending, which leans into sentimentality in a way that doesn’t quite match the breezy fun of the rest of the performance. The energy dips just enough to be noticeable, and the final resolution feels a little more manufactured than earned. Still, it’s a small flaw in what is otherwise a slick and entertaining production.

Visually minimalist but rich in imagination, A.I.M. is a playful celebration of what theatre can do when it strips everything back. It invites the audience to fill in the blanks, to picture entire car chases and shoot-outs happening in their minds, all while watching two performers create the chaos with little more than limbs and props.

For fans of physical theatre, comedy, or just something different, this is a quirky and thoroughly enjoyable hour that deserves its spot in the Camden Fringe. It’s not groundbreaking, but it is inventive, tightly performed, and a joy to watch.