Why global musical star Josh Piterman is returning to Ballarat

Piterman, who honed his musical theatre skills in the Bachelor of Performing Arts at Federation University's Arts Academy, is on a self-imposed break from the demands of performing eight shows a week in blockbuster musicals.

Late 2023 he returned from London where he performed as Jean Valjean in Les Miserables on London's West End.

It was a role he took on just weeks after finishing a season wowing audiences as the Phantom in Phantom of the Opera at the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne's Arts Centre. Phantom was also the role that led to his West End debut in 2019.

On Sunday May 5 he will return to Ballarat to conduct a masterclass for students at Federation University, which will also be open for the public to observe.

It is the first time he has returned to the university in more than 15 years, though he performed a solo show at the Piano Bar in 2022.

"The process of becoming an artist that you are proud of is a long one and so I'm literally there to guide them and facilitate them to become the kind of artist they want to be," Piterman said.

A select group of current Bachelor of Performing Arts students will perform and receive direction and feedback from Piterman on artistic and musical expression, artistic interpretation, and storytelling.

Theatre fans including current and prospective performing arts students and the public are also invited to watch the three-hour masterclass and participate in a question-and-answer session.

Piterman said he was excited to return to Ballarat to help nurture the next generation of performers.

"I wouldn't have had the career that I have had, which I'm incredibly proud of and extremely grateful for, if it wasn't for my three years in Ballarat which were really defining," he said.

Although Piterman has garnered world-wide acclaim for his performances, it hasn't always been easy and his workshops are as much about performance and technical skills as they are about mindset.

His mindset skills came to the fore not just through COVID, when the entertainment industry shut down soon after his West End debut, but more recently as he transitioned between his roles in Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.

Within days of arriving in London and starting rehearsals for Les Miserables, he suffered a nightmare injury.

"I had a really tough injury to my throat on day three or four of rehearsals," Piterman said.

"I got an unlucky blow to the throat while rehearsing a fight scene that cracked my thyroid cartilage, cracked my voice box ... which set me back some way.

"I had to delve in to my mindset practice ... and I used that time (off) to double down on my character research. I turned to thinking what can I gain out of this ... and used the extra time to do research I would not have done."

He ended up rehearsing for just 10 days before taking to the Sondheim Theatre stage as iconic Jean Valjean.

"I felt fantastic about it and in the ensuing week built the character to a place I'm really proud of and I just loved performing it so much," he said.

After an extraordinary few years playing arguably the two most iconic male roles in traditional music theatre, Piterman is taking a break from the stage.

"My voice, my body, my mind all need to just breathe for a second and allow what has been an extraordinary couple of years since COVID lockdowns ended to wash away and look at it with pride ... so I can fully step in to the next thing," he said.

"2024 for me is a real year of being purposeful in every way. My purpose to facilitate storytelling doesn't always mean I have to be the one facilitating, I can facilitate others in telling their story."

The masterclass will take place at the Helen Macpherson Smith Theatre. Tickets are limited and available here.