Character guide
Tony Elliot
from Billy Elliot
Tony Elliot is Billy's older brother in Billy Elliot, the 2008 musical with music by Elton John, and a fiercely committed voice in the miners' strike at the center of the story.
- Show
- Billy Elliot
- Broadway premiere
- 2008
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Elton John
Tony Elliot: from the film to Broadway
Broadway compared with the 2000 film
In the 2000 film, Billy's older brother is played by Jamie Draven as a union delegate at the center of the miners' strike. On Broadway, Santino Fontana created Tony Elliot in the original 2008 cast.
The musical keeps Tony as the family's fiercest striker and gives him songs the film character never sings. He leads the partygoers in Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher, a comic number aimed at the prime minister the miners are fighting, and he sings He Could Be a Star with his father Jackie as the family weighs what to do about Billy's future.
Who is Tony Elliot?
Tony Elliot is a young miner and union activist, deeply engaged in the labor struggle that forms the backdrop of Billy Elliot. He is protective of his family but also quick-tempered, often clashing with his father and skeptical of anything that seems to distract from the fight the community is waging.
His initial dismissal of Billy's dancing adds another layer of pressure on the young lead, making Billy's path even harder within his own household.
Tony's role in Billy Elliot
Tony is a supporting role that grounds the musical's political backdrop, giving voice to the strikers' anger and desperation as the story unfolds. The part suits a performer who can bring intensity and conviction, since Tony's scenes are often charged with the frustration of the wider strike.
Audiences appreciate Tony because he keeps the show's social context alive within the family drama, showing how a national struggle plays out in the arguments and loyalties of one household.
Tony Elliot: frequently asked questions
What show is Tony Elliot from?
Tony Elliot appears in Billy Elliot, the 2008 musical with music by Elton John.
Is Tony Elliot a lead or supporting role?
Tony Elliot is a supporting role, Billy's older brother and a committed voice in the miners' strike.
Who wrote the music for Billy Elliot?
Elton John wrote the music for Billy Elliot.
Think you can name today's mystery character in eight guesses?
Play today's Character Guesser