diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e4c1624da..a0c304952 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -89,6 +89,24 @@ def test_playwright_is_visible_on_google(page):
 
 For more information on pytest-playwright, see [GitHub](https://github.com/microsoft/playwright-pytest#readme).
 
+#### REPL support without context managers
+
+For scripting purposes, it is also possible to start and stop Playwright manually without relying on the indentation of the REPL.
+
+```py
+from playwright import sync_playwright
+
+playwright = sync_playwright().start()
+for browser_type in [playwright.chromium, playwright.firefox, playwright.webkit]:
+    browser = browser_type.launch()
+    page = browser.newPage()
+    page.goto("http://whatsmyuseragent.org/")
+    page.screenshot(path=f"example-{browser_type.name}.png")
+    browser.close()
+
+playwright.stop()
+```
+
 ## More examples
 
 #### Mobile and geolocation
diff --git a/playwright/async_api.py b/playwright/async_api.py
index 4bb1831e7..e6ae2d60a 100644
--- a/playwright/async_api.py
+++ b/playwright/async_api.py
@@ -5942,5 +5942,8 @@ def selectors(self) -> "Selectors":
     def devices(self) -> typing.Dict[str, DeviceDescriptor]:
         return mapping.from_maybe_impl(self._impl_obj.devices)
 
+    def stop(self) -> NoneType:
+        return mapping.from_maybe_impl(self._impl_obj.stop())
+
 
 mapping.register(PlaywrightImpl, Playwright)
diff --git a/playwright/main.py b/playwright/main.py
index 049535ec6..5a7547e11 100644
--- a/playwright/main.py
+++ b/playwright/main.py
@@ -93,9 +93,14 @@ def callback_wrapper(playwright_impl: Playwright) -> None:
         self._connection.call_on_object_with_known_name("Playwright", callback_wrapper)
         set_dispatcher_fiber(greenlet(lambda: self._connection.run_sync()))
         dispatcher_fiber().switch()
-        return self._playwright
+        playwright = self._playwright
+        playwright.stop = self.__exit__  # type: ignore
+        return playwright
 
-    def __exit__(self, exc_type: Any, exc_val: Any, exc_tb: Any) -> None:
+    def start(self) -> SyncPlaywright:
+        return self.__enter__()
+
+    def __exit__(self, *args: Any) -> None:
         self._connection.stop_sync()
 
 
@@ -106,11 +111,16 @@ def __init__(self) -> None:
     async def __aenter__(self) -> AsyncPlaywright:
         self._connection = await run_driver_async()
         self._connection.run_async()
-        return AsyncPlaywright(
+        playwright = AsyncPlaywright(
             await self._connection.wait_for_object_with_known_name("Playwright")
         )
+        playwright.stop = self.__aexit__  # type: ignore
+        return playwright
+
+    async def start(self) -> AsyncPlaywright:
+        return await self.__aenter__()
 
-    async def __aexit__(self, exc_type: Any, exc_val: Any, exc_tb: Any) -> None:
+    async def __aexit__(self, *args: Any) -> None:
         self._connection.stop_async()
 
 
diff --git a/playwright/playwright.py b/playwright/playwright.py
index f2c561390..5aca9398f 100644
--- a/playwright/playwright.py
+++ b/playwright/playwright.py
@@ -39,3 +39,6 @@ def __init__(
             device["name"]: device["descriptor"]
             for device in initializer["deviceDescriptors"]
         }
+
+    def stop(self) -> None:
+        pass
diff --git a/playwright/sync_api.py b/playwright/sync_api.py
index f6473cefe..e8ec9f16b 100644
--- a/playwright/sync_api.py
+++ b/playwright/sync_api.py
@@ -6182,5 +6182,8 @@ def selectors(self) -> "Selectors":
     def devices(self) -> typing.Dict[str, DeviceDescriptor]:
         return mapping.from_maybe_impl(self._impl_obj.devices)
 
+    def stop(self) -> NoneType:
+        return mapping.from_maybe_impl(self._impl_obj.stop())
+
 
 mapping.register(PlaywrightImpl, Playwright)