Charles MacMahon

The MacMahon brothers were entrepreneurs in Australian show business. Chief among them were James MacMahon (1856 or c. 1858 – 29 April 1915) and Charles MacMahon (1861 – 27 June 1917), who together and separately toured a large number of stage shows. Their younger brothers, Joseph (died November 1918) and William (died August 1923), were involved in many of those activities. In later years James acquired the nickname "Mighty Atom", perhaps a reference to Marie Corelli's novel. and Charles had some success as a filmmaker. History The MacMahon brothers were born in Sandhurst, Victoria (later Bendigo), sons of Patrick MacMahon, contractor, and his wife Mary Ann, née Delany. James MacMahon was early attracted to the theatre, and at age 17 joined a stage management company that brought the tragedienne Mrs Scott-Siddons to the Academy of Music, Ballarat for a two-night season of dramatic readings on 21–22 October 1876. Scott-Siddons' 1876 Australian tour began on 4 May when she arrived aboard the City of San Francisco, under contract to Samuel Lazar. She played Rosalind in As You Like It at the Theatre Royal, Sydney from 13 May. followed by Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, Lady Teazle in The School for Scandal, Portia in The Merchant of Venice, and so on, all to capacity crowds. Her season at the Theatre Royal, Melbourne began on 15 July for Harwood, Stewart, Hennings and Coppin. She played the name role in Edmund Phipps' adaptation of King Rene's Daughter and Juliana in Tobin's The Honey Moon. After her brief appearance at Ballarat she returned to Melbourne's Theatre Royal in time for the racing season.