Ballarat-trained musical theatre leading man Josh Piterman is hanging up his Phantom of the Opera mask and swapping one iconic role for another.
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Mr Piterman performs his final show as Phantom in Melbourne on Saturday as the show wraps up after record-breaking seasons in Sydney and Melbourne, and will next week be on a flight to London to take over the role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables at the Sondheim Theatre.
It will be a quick turnaround for the in-demand performer, who will be on stage in his new role before the end of March.
The return to London is a welcome one for the then-University of Ballarat Arts Academy graduate.
He was performing the title role in the London production of Phantom of the Opera when COVID struck, shutting down the show and all live performance both in the UK and Australia.
"I am so looking forward to getting back. I love London, It's such a magical city rich with culture, architecture, art and the arts. As a lover of theatre and musical theatre, to be able to walk to the West End and Covent Gardens it's just magical."
During COVID Mr Piterman returned to Australia, spent some time studying meditation, completed a regional solo tour and while home he was offered the Phantom role in the Australian production, but the local season was also delayed.
"What a journey it's been over the last three and a half years," he reflected. "It just feels like such an incredible time.
"Maybe this is some payback for some of the struggles during COVID. To go through a period of a couple of hundred performances (of Phantom) on the West End, then all the COVID stuff for the best part of two years, then to take the role again and bring it to Sydney then a successful season in Melbourne."
Mr Piterman learned about three months ago that he would take on the coveted role of Jean Valjean in the West End production of Les Miserables and has been studying the original Victor Hugo novel that the musical is based on.
Apart from closure during the COVID pandemic, Les Miserables has been playing in London's West End for 38 years.
"It's a role I have dreamed of playing for as long as I have ... been pursuing musical theatre," he said.
"Like Phantom, Jean Valjean sits at the pinnacle of iconic challenging roles I have wanted to do. One can have such dreams and put them out there with no expectation of them to be realised."
Mr Piterman said the novel was providing him deeper layers to the character and story.
"I have been deep into the wonderful Victor Hugo novel. It's the most rich and beautiful source of material and I've delved a lot deeper into the role and character and story than the musical."
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While looking forward to the new role, it is bittersweet to be saying goodbye to Phantom.
"It has been part of my life now for three and a half years and something I worked toward for many years prior to that. I always hold a show and role with deep reverence and deep love, so when you have to say goodbye to something like that it comes with its own heartbreak but more so is saying goodbye to all the people you work in the company," he said.
"It's far beyond the role you are playing, it's the individuals you share moments on and off stage with. What I will miss the most is coming to work and sharing that incredible story, show and songs.
"I hope it's not the end of my Phantom journey forever. I still feel relatively young as Phantom and could do it again at some time. If I was to come back to it I would bring something new again as I would have grown as a human."
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