THE TIGER WHO CAME TO TEA PLOT

The story starts off with Sophie having tea with her mummy in the kitchen. The pair are disturbed by a ring on the doorbell and mummy wonders who it might be. It can’t be the milkman she says, as he comes in the morning. And it can’t be the boy from the grocery shop because it’s the wrong day. It also can’t be daddy because he’s got his key.

When Sophie opens the door, she discovers a big, furry, stripy tiger there waiting. The tiger says he’s very hungry and asks to come in for tea. He sits at the table and Sophie’s mummy offers him a sandwich. But he doesn’t just take one sandwich, he eats them all - and is still hungry. The tiger then eats all the buns, biscuits and cake until there’s nothing left. He then drinks all the tea and milk before searching the entire kitchen for food, gobbling up the dinner on the stove, everything in the fridge and anything in a can. This is all washed down with all the water in the taps and even daddy’s beer. He then leaves, never to be seen again.

With no food or drink left in the house and no water left in the bath, Sophie and her mummy are left confused. When daddy comes home, he takes them to a cafe for dinner in the dark. It’s a very exciting experience for Sophie who doesn’t usually go outside. The next day, Sophie and her mum go shopping, buying a huge can of tiger food - just in case he came to tea again.
 

THE TRUTH BEHIND THIS POPULAR STORY

Kerr grew up in pre-World War Two Berlin and as her father was a Jewish intellectual, they were forced to flee Germany when Hitler took power. Many people think her fear of being caught by Nazis or strangers showing up on the doorstep inspired the story. But according to Judith, it was nothing more than something imagined. The author stated:

“It was just a bedtime story I made up for my daughter when she was two, getting on for three. I knew it by heart, every word. It hadn't changed because you watch your child's face and obviously you leave out bits gradually if they look bored. I told it to her again and again and again, and she used to say, 'Talk the tiger'. When I decided to do the book, I remember wondering what the tiger should look like, whether he should have clothes.”

Kerr loved visiting the zoo with her daughter Tacy, and particularly liked looking at the "beautiful" tigers. So this surely influenced her storytelling.

The Tiger Who Came to Tea will be roaring its way back to London this summer! Playing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in the West End from 11 July until 4 September 2022, this is one of the best London attractions for kids aged 3+ this summer, so why not book your tickets and enjoy a day out to remember? The show runs for 55-minutes long and is based on the popular children’s picture book by Judith Kerr.