The Tiger Who Came to Tea in London is an award-nominated children’s play adapted from Judith Kerr’s bestselling picture book. Playing at the Theatre Royal Haymarket until 5 September 2026, its star character is a mysterious talking tiger who comes to Sophie’s house one day and asks if he can join them for tea. If you’ve ever wondered what type of tiger he is, perhaps our guide on how to tell the difference between tiger subspecies can help. 

Telling tigers apart

Unless you’re an expert, tiger subspecies are pretty difficult to tell apart. Scientists who study these beautiful creatures can identify individuals by their stripe pattern, which is unique to each tiger - just like our fingerprints are unique to us. But if you want to impress your friends, here are some ways to identify a particular subspecies.

Amur tiger

Amur or Siberian tigers are the largest of the subspecies and can be identified by their super thick fur, which is a paler orange than most subspecies. They also have widely spaced, brownish stripes, a white chest and belly, and a white ruff around their face and neck. 

Bengal tiger

Bengal tigers are slightly smaller than Amur tigers and more orange in colour, with much smaller white patches on the chest and belly. Their stripes are bold, broad and black or deep brown, and more numerous than those of Amur tigers. However, they aren’t as dense as the stripes of Sumatran tigers. 

South China tiger

South China tigers can be spotted in zoos and cat sanctuaries for their reddish-orange coats and long, narrow black stripes. They are significantly smaller than Amur and Bengal tigers, and have a rounder head than other subspecies, as well as shorter limbs. 

Sumatran tiger

Sumatran tigers are one of the smallest subspecies, and have dark reddish-orange fur with the narrowest, thinnest and most closely spaced stripes of all the tiger subspecies. They also have a prominent orange and white ruff around the face. 

Malayan tiger

Malayan tigers have a rich orange coat and white fur on their chests and bellies. The rear side of their front legs is white too. Their fur isn’t as long and thick as that of an Amur tiger, and they are among the smaller mainland subspecies. They have short, narrow stripes. 

Indochinese tiger

Indochinese tigers have a bright orange, almost gold, coat with a white belly and white patches on the chest and rear side of the forelimbs. Like Malayan tigers, their strips are short, narrow and more numerous compared to Bengal tigers. In fact, Indochinese and Malayan tigers look very similar and were only classified as separate subspecies through DNA profiling in 2004. 

Decide which type of tiger has come to tea

The only way to decide which type of tiger has arrived at Sophie’s house for tea is to see the show for yourself. As one of the best children’s shows in theatres this year, it’s the perfect introduction to live performance for kids aged three and up. Book your tickets today and enjoy a memorable family day out.