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A note from Daphne Kuhn:
It is an absolute delight to once again welcome this exceptional team back to our stage for the second run of THE TRAMP. There is always such joy in working with Daniel, Amanda, Paul and Wilhelm — artists who bring heart, precision and deep care to every moment of storytelling. Having them return feels very much like welcoming family home to our theatre.
THE TRAMP is a captivating one-man hybrid theatrical experience that explores the life of the greatest comic of the silent film era, Charlie Chaplin. His life story is beautifully interwoven with that of his most famous creation, the beloved Tramp — a character who so powerfully lived in the delicate space between comedy and tragedy. The production invites us to consider a timeless question: who truly came first… Charlie, or The Tramp?
Accompanied by a nostalgic, timeless soundscape of honky-tonk music, along with musical numbers composed by Chaplin himself and others, this piece offers something deeply human, tender and wonderfully entertaining.
Thank you for being here and for supporting live theatre. We hope you enjoy every moment of this special production.
Please take a moment to ensure your phones are on silent.
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THE TRAMP
starring DANIEL ANDERSON
Accompanied on piano by PAUL FERREIRA
Written and Directed by AMANDA BOTHMA
Designed by WILHELM DISBERGEN
Production Stage Manager: LULUTHO MHLABA
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DANIEL ANDERSON is 26 years old and has grown up on the theatre stage. Starting as a child Elvis Presley impersonator, he migrated to musical theatre in 2010, where the roots of his career began to take shape. He holds a BA degree in Film Production and an ATCL in Musical Theatre with the Trinity College of London.
His first and true love, however, will always be the theatre as he finds no greater joy than shared moments on a stage. Audiences will remember Daniel from his debut role at Theatre on the Square in VINCENT – HIS QUEST TO LOVE AND BE LOVED. This special production also had sucessful seasons in London, Edinburgh and Cape Town. Other productions include MASTER HAROLD AND THE BOYS (Theatre on the Square), MAD ABOUT THE BOYS (Theatre on the Square) THIS MOMENT (CPT), BLOMMIE KABOUTER in Liewe Heksie, IT’S SHOWTIME! A REVUE (CPT), Simeon/Narrator in JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT, Writer/Director of BEAT IT – THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF MICHAEL JACKSON, Daniel Beauxhomme in ONCE ON THIS ISAND (EL, CPT).
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PAUL FERREIRA holds a BMus (Hons) Degree from the University of the Free State. He acted as répétiteur, vocal coach and rehearsal pianist for various PACOFS, UFS, Opera Africa, Gauteng Opera and Cape Town Opera productions. These include The Medium (Menotti), Don Giovanni (Mozart), Ein deutsches Requiem (Brahms), Madama Butterfly (Puccini), Le nozze di Figaro (Mozart), Ziyankomo and the Forbidden Fruit (Mnomiya), Große Messe in c Moll (Mozart), L’elisir d’amore (Donizetti), Rigoletto (Verdi), Die Zauberflöte (Mozart) and Tiger Bay (James). As musical director he added productions of Grease, Cinderella and Guys and Dolls, amongst others, to his credit.
Paul received his Performers Licentiate in Vocal Accompaniment (cum laude) from UNISA. He often participates in master classes by renowned international artists such as Dalton Baldwin, Helmut Deutsch, Michelle Breedt, Richard Shaw, Brenda Rein, and John Whitelaw.
Paul also received vocal training from soprano Hanna van Niekerk and completed, with distinction, his grade 8 Vocal Performance Examination with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music.
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AMANDA BOTHMA (director) has entertained East London audiences, since her first break – through production of BOBAAS IN DIE BOENDOE at the Guild Theatre in 1990. Amanda Bothma received her Bachelor’s degree in Drama and Acting from the University of the Free State. In 2017 she enrolled at The Eugene O’Neill Theatre institute in Connecticut then in 2021 she trained in the Chekhov Method under Mara Laduvic co-founder of the Michael Chekhov Actors’ Studio Boston. Since then, critically acclaimed work continued to follow, earning her a list of award-winning productions including A STAR IS BORN – THE RISE AND FALL OF JUDY GARLAND, NEXT!!!, DAMSEL IN DISTRESS, THE STORY OF EVA CASSIDY, MAD ABOUT THE BOYS and VINCENT – HIS QUEST TO LOVE AND BE LOVED.
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WILHELM DISBERGEN (designer) is a prolific theatre designer who regularly works in all major theatres in South Africa. He is a multiple winner at the annual Naledi Theatre Awards, and has also received a Fleur du Cap award for lighting design.
For Theatre on the Square this year, he designed the South African premiere of Diary of a Wimpy Kid (dir Vicky Friedman), Athol Fugard’s Master Harold and the Boys (dir Warona Seane) and most recently NOBODY TOLD ME (dir Ilina Perianova and Renos Spanoudes).
In theatre, his collaboration with South African State Theatre artistic director Aubrey Sekhabi started with Silent Voice, followed by Sekhabi’s three seminal freedom plays – Mantolo: The Tenth Step, Kalushi: The Story of Solomon Mahlangu, and The Rivonia Trial. This was followed by three epoch-making musicals – Hungry (a co-production with the SchauSpielHaus Hamburg), Marikana – The Musical, and Freedom The Musical. Recent work in theatre include The Lesson (dir Greg Homan), an immersive production of Ariane Mnouchkine and Théâtre du Soleil’s 1789 (dir Phyllis Klotz and Smal Ndaba), Napo Mashenane’s ground-breaking musical Thaba Bosiu; The Suit (dir Jefferson Tshabalala); and The Cry of Winnie Mandela (dir MoMo Matsunyane).
In dance, he lit 21 seasons for the Cape Town City Ballet, receiving a special award from The Friends of the Cape Town City Ballet for the consistently high standard of his lighting. For Joburg Ballet, he designed Big City, Big Dreams, Whispers of My Soul (chor Redha), and The Nutcracker (chor Angela Malan). At Kampnagel in Hamburg, he designed Jessica Nupen’s Don’t Trust the Border (2018), The Nose, a film/live performance hybrid (2021), GEMeinsam (2022), and Reparation Nation (2024). He regularly designs seasons for Moving Into Dance. For the new Cape Ballet Africa, he lit Breathworks at the Baxter Theatre, and Salt in Makhanda.
At the National Arts Festival, he designed new works for four Standard Bank Young Artists – Moffie (chor Bailey Snyman in 2012), Sabela (chor Thandezile Sonja Radebe in 2017), Purgatory (chor Kristi-Leigh Gresse in 2022), and Breakfast with Mugabe (dir Calvin Ratladi in 2025). At the 2018 festival, he designed Black Privilege for Mamela Nyamza, the featured artist of the festival. For the main programme at the 2025 festival, he lit Salt for Cape Ballet Africa, and designed Malo and the Moon Maiden (dir Janice Honeyman).
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DAPHNE KUHN is a well-known South African theatre producer, artistic director and owner of the THEATRE ON THE SQUARE in Sandton. She began her career in the arts as an actress, working in both film, TV and theatre. Daphne Kuhn, holds an MA Degree in Drama from Pretoria University and her special skills range from acting to directing, PR to producing.
In 1994, Kuhn founded Theatre on the Square, first in Rosebank, then in Sandton in 1997.
This 200-seater theatre is one of Johannesburg’s most popular venues for both local and international productions. Over the years, the theatre has showcased a diverse range of plays, from classic dramas and musicals to contemporary works, experimental productions, comedies and youth theatre. Kuhn has been instrumental in bringing many important international plays to South African audiences, including the South African premieres of plays like HANSARD, SOME GIRLS, SHIRLEY VALENTINE, TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE, ROSE, HARD LOVE and ROMANCE. Theatre on the Square has produced and presented more than 3000 South African plays, concerts and corporate events. Daphne has also nurtured the talents of many South African artists, providing a platform for emerging writers, directors, and performers to showcase their work while generating thousands of work opportunities for those in the industry. In addition to her work at Theatre on the Square, Kuhn has also produced several successful productions that have toured to other venues around South Africa. For her contributions to South African theatre, Kuhn has received numerous accolades, including the Naledi Theatre Award for Executive Producer for her contribution to South African theatre. She continues to be a driving force in the South African theatre scene and her work has helped to shape and elevate the country’s cultural landscape.
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Share your experience online and tag us on Instagram at @TheatreOnTheSquare
or on Facebook at Theatre on the Square, Sandton
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For THEATRE ON THE SQUARE
Owner / Producer / Artistic Director: DAPHNE KUHN
Resident Stage Manager: REGINA DUBE
Online & Design:MIKA STEFANO
Front Of Manager: MELIDAH THAKADU
Technical Manager: LOFTUS MOHALE
Assistant Technical Manager: REGGIE MATHEBE
Production Assistant: ZA MVUBELO
Photographs for Theatre on the Square: PHILIP KUHN
Theatre Assistants: MAGDALENE GRACE, PATRICIA RAMOTATHA and NHLANHLA ZUNGU
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Don’t forget to switch your phone to silent during the show!
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