Winton’s formidable comedy duo, The Crackup Sisters, entertained locals with crude pranks and nimble acrobatics on Saturday at Outback Fringe Festival.
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Mount Isa's first attempt at a Fringe Festival was hampered slightly by strong winds, forcing a relocation from Buchanan Park to the shelter of Mount Isa Civic Centre.
S.T. Ruth and her little sister, Twiggs, form the crack team that is the Crackup Sisters, who appeared to be having as much fun as the audience with their impressive repertoire of jokes and skits.
“We come from the southern, most eastern tip of central north western tablelands high plains country, just 200 metres straight down the road from the middle of nowhere, we come from Winton, outback Queensland, yeah!” the sisters said in unison, complete with actions.
A spell of whip cracking was next, with safety precautions of course.
“Wait up Twiggs, I need to do a workplace health and safety – *crack* – if you feel nervous, move back,” S.T. Ruth said.
“It does sound like a gun. Do you know why it makes that noise? It actually breaks the sound barrier. What you’re hearing is a sonic boom.
“The Australian stock whip was the first invention to break the sound barrier. That makes Australian bushmen smarter than NASA,” she said.
The two candy-colour clad country gals brought an entire cottage to the Civic Centre lawn as their set, complete with a vapour-emitting dunny that formed the basis of one particularly grubby joke.
Twiggs emerged from the dunny looking sheepish, with toilet paper stuck to her romper suit. S.T. Ruth took the resulting best prop ever, a giant swirly poop, into the crowd to show it off.
This is hardly the sisters’ first time visiting Mount Isa, but S.T. Ruth said they were both thrilled to be involved in the Outback’s first ever Fringe Festival.
“The outback should absolutely have fringe festivals. Outback audiences are incredibly receptive, great listeners, and full of fun,” S.T Ruth said.
The Crackup Sisters tour extensively at festivals like the Fringe, across Australia and overseas.