Helmut Bakaitis was born in Lauban, Germany, of Lithuanian parentage and acquired some knowledge of Lithuanian, French, German and Italian. He spent his early years in Innsbruck, Austria. After graduating from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), Sydney, in 1965, he acted in Hobart, Sydney and Melbourne, spending five years with the Melbourne Theatre Company. He joined the Old Tote Theatre Company in 1972 as actor, dramaturge and assistant director and then moved to the South Australian Theatre Company as director of youth activities. He continued to perform as an actor in many stage, film and television productions while pursuing his writing and directing career.
In 1975, Bakaitis gained a postgraduate degree in drama in education studying under Dorothy Heathcote at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. This was followed by two years in London, where he was involved in community youth theatre at the Round House Theatre and Jackson's Lane Community Centre. In 1978 he returned to Australia to establish the St Martins Youth Arts Centre, Melbourne, where he directed young people's scripts. From 1983 to 1986 he was artistic director of the New Moon Theatre Company, a touring company based in central and far North Queensland. He then became executive director of the the 'Q' Theatre, Penrith, NSW.
