Review – In Defence of Hipsters
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Cobi Smith’s performance was a brave one. She apparently gets this feedback often. Hoping one day for a “you were so funny” or a “you were so captivating”, for now I will only give her a “you were so brave”. With good reason. If I were to volunteer five of the people who knew me the most to jump on stage and deliver a story about how hipster I am, then have five more comedians improvise the story, I would need a whole lot more guts, or alcohol.
Probably the reason I avoided having a 21st, which is exactly what it felt like I was sitting in on: an awkward family celebration of a complete stranger. Embarrassment aside, I would attend this party any day if only for a giggle and a little insight into what classifies as a “hipster” today. And it is actually fun to make fun of hipsters, because despite their thick rimmed glasses, skinny chinos, moustaches and forever changing health tips no one will ever admit to being one. Except Cobi of course, who only discovered so as she exits her 20’s into a world where, by classification, hipsters cannot exist. See her for some good old family fun before she escapes on another hipster quest to “find herself”.
In Defence of Hipsters is based on a very interesting concept – a 21st birthday styled show, where five people from the host’s life are invited up on stage to tell us a story about their friend/daughter/ex-colleague, Cobi Smith, while at the same time these stories are enacted by a bunch of talented improv artists.
For this show to work, the host needs to be a really really interesting person, otherwise you would lose all interest. Luckily for us, Cobi is one of the most interesting people you’d meet. A frequent traveller, science communicator, ethical hipster and comedian, she is a rare gem of a person who can engage you for hours on end – pity we only had sixty minutes in this show.
This is a silly show, but the stories are straight from the heart, the laughter is genuine and you’ll get sucked right in to the life of professional hipster Cobi Smith.
