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Artwork for PlayME

PlayME

CBC
Da Kink In My Hair
Theatre
Theater
Family Dynamics
Uncle Vanya
Table For Two
Playme
Kim's Convenience
Tunnel Runners
Audio Drama
Gun Violence
Real Estate
Mental Health
Identity
Toronto
Chekhov
Prodigal
Home Ownership
Queerness
The Drawer Boy

Welcome to your digital stage, where bold theatre meets cutting-edge audio drama. Each episode draws you into captivating stories brought to life by top actors, acclaimed writers, and cinematic sound design that places you at the center of the action.

Winner of the 2020 New York Festival Gold Medal winner for Audio Drama, PlayME has dozens of productions, from daring, original audio dramas to gr... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes180Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Fiction

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Artwork for PlayME

Latest Episodes

In this special PlayME episode, host Chris Tolley sits down with Brian Quirt of Night Swimming as the company celebrates its 30th anniversary.

Brian shares insights into the long, collaborative process of developing new plays, Night Swimming’s philo... more

Playwright and actor Pamela Mala Sinha joins Chris Tolley to talk about NEW, her play about a generation of South Asian immigrants who came of age in 1970s Winnipeg. Sinha shares how a box of old photographs and her mother's stories sparked the idea,... more

Two months after her arrival, Nuzha is beginning to understand that something is deeply wrong in her marriage. Qasim comes home late every night, and has never once reached for her. She arrived ready to build a life and instead finds herself waiting ... more

It's 1970 in Winnipeg, and a young Bengali bride has just arrived in Canada to marry a man she's never met. But the husband waiting for her is hiding a secret, and the tight-knit immigrant community she's stepping into is holding more than a few of i... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Pamela Mala Sinha
Writer and performer of New; featured in the episode as part of the PlayME production
PlayME / Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre / Necessary Angel Theatre Company
Episode: NEW by Pamela Mala Sinha (Part Two)
Tom Barnett
Actor known for Miles in The Drawer Boy (1999) and Angus in Thousand Islands/PlayME adaptation
The Drawer Boy cast
Episode: The Drawer Boy (Interview with actor Tom Barnett)
Patrick McManus
Actor in The Drawer Boy
The Drawer Boy production
Episode: The Drawer Boy (Part Two)
Stephen Jackman-Torkoff
Actor in The Drawer Boy
The Drawer Boy production
Episode: The Drawer Boy (Part Two)
Ins Choi
Playwright and performer known for the hit play Kim's Convenience
Episode: Kim’s Convenience (Interview with Ins Choi)
Aisling Murphy
Theatre critic for the Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
Episode: PlayME Presents: The Tom Hendry Awards Shortlist Special
Kevin Wong
Composer, lyricist, and three-time Tom Hendry Award winner
Independent
Episode: PlayME Presents: The Tom Hendry Awards Shortlist Special
Herbie Barnes
Artistic Director of Young People's Theatre
Young People's Theatre
Episode: PlayME Presents: The Tom Hendry Awards Shortlist Special
Jillian Keiley
Acclaimed director and founder of Artistic Fraud Newfoundland
Artistic Fraud Newfoundland
Episode: PlayME Presents: The Tom Hendry Awards Shortlist Special

Hosts

Laura Mullin
Host and producer with strong ties to Canadian theatre; co-creator of PlayME productions.
Chris Tolley
Co-host and interviewer; long-time collaborator on PlayME productions.

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 356 ratings
  • One of my favs

    Truly excellent and enjoyable and evocative audio dramas.

    Thank you to all involved in the production of this show!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    never-wrote-a-haiku
    Canadaa year ago
  • Great Canadian content

    Audio dramas are not my go to but I’ve been immensely enjoying these PlayMe audio dramas! I’m also happy to support Canadian media

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Poppenflip
    Canadaa year ago
  • Excellent series

    Podchaser
    5
    Miss Hijinx
    a year ago
  • Playme

    PlayMe Tunnel Runners is an enthralling audio drama with exceptional voice acting and a gripping storyline that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Its intricate world building and complex characters make it a must listen to for fans of suspenseful and thrilling podcasts!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Vanessa1134
    Canadaa year ago
  • Top-tier audio theatre

    Play Me is a remarkably effective adaptation of theatre to the podcast medium. In a year when it was not possible to attend the theatre, this was a close second. The author interviews are a particular bonus.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    grgo blee
    Canadaa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Episodes are described as premier access to Canadian plays beyond live theatre.
Deep-dive author interviews and Canadian storytelling attract theatre enthusiasts.
High production quality and immersive sound design are frequently praised.
Some listeners note intense content in certain plays; overall, production is seen as a standout in audio theatre.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#197
Canada/Fiction

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

NEW (Interview with Pamela Mala Sinha)
Q: How has your process evolved when collaborating with others, especially with your life partner John Mitten?
She emphasizes open dialogue but notes that she waits until she's ready for notes, using trusted collaborators to push deeper without compromising her vision.
NEW (Interview with Pamela Mala Sinha)
Q: What was your doorway into writing New as a writer?
Her doorway came from researching and interviewing people close to her, aided by a Project Imagination grant, and then letting memories and conversations guide the storyline rather than planning an outline.
NEW (Interview with Pamela Mala Sinha)
Q: Was the interfaith element a conscious political decision or purely storytelling?
Pamela says it is a political act given current global climates, but for her it originated from personal experience and the relationships within her family and community.
Kim’s Convenience (Interview with Ins Choi)
Q: What was the experience of transitioning your play to a television series like?
Ins shares the challenges of adjusting from writing for the stage to writing for a collaborative medium like television, learning to let go of control.
Kim’s Convenience (Interview with Ins Choi)
Q: How did you go from being a young actor to becoming a playwright?
Ins discusses his invitation to join a playwriting unit, which led to him exploring the idea of a Korean family on stage and ultimately writing Kim's Convenience.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
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Household Income
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Frequently Asked Questions About PlayME

What is PlayME about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Audiences are drawn to richly produced Canadian audio theatre and intimate conversations with playwrights, actors, and critics. Episodes showcase archived Canadian plays adapted for audio, behind-the-scenes production notes, and in-depth interviews that reveal creative processes, cultural perspectives, and theatre's social impact. The mix of dramatized performances, original scores, and author insights makes it feel like a newsroom of contemporary theatre—accessible to both theatre lovers and audio drama fans. Notably, the show frequently features Canadian voices across theatre, musical theatre, and arts criticism, with a strong emphasis on storytelling, memory, identity, and community.

Where can I find podcast stats for PlayME?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for PlayME. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to PlayME and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does PlayME get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for PlayME, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for PlayME?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for PlayME, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does PlayME have?

To see how many followers or subscribers PlayME has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to PlayME?

These podcasts share a similar audience with PlayME:

1. Because News
2. The Debaters
3. Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud
4. Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly
5. Laugh Out Loud

How many episodes of PlayME are there?

PlayME launched 8 years ago and published 180 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact PlayME?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for PlayME?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for PlayME from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for PlayME?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of PlayME. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on PlayME?

Recent guests on PlayME include:

1. Pamela Mala Sinha
2. Tom Barnett
3. Patrick McManus
4. Stephen Jackman-Torkoff
5. Ins Choi
6. Aisling Murphy
7. Kevin Wong
8. Herbie Barnes

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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