The Playboy of the Western World: every role by lines, words, and stage time

J. M. Synge. 19 speaking roles, 15,902 words, about 114 minutes of speech.

The Offbook team

Oct 8, 2026

Christy has the most to say in The Playboy of the Western World: about 506 lines and 4,266 words, 26.8% of the play. Synge’s comedy follows Christy, a young stranger who wins the admiration of a County Mayo village by claiming he killed his father. Christy carries about a quarter of the words, with Pegeen close behind at about a fifth and Widow Quin next. All three speak in every act, while Mahon does not appear until Act 2.

Speaking roles: 19
Scenes: 3
Words: 15,902
Speech time: 114 min

Every role, largest first

Role	Lines	Words	Share	Minutes	Scenes
Christy	506	4,266	26.8%	30.5	3
Pegeen	395	3,306	20.8%	23.6	3
Widow Quin	287	2,346	14.8%	16.8	3
Mahon	167	1,390	8.7%	9.9	2
Shawn	159	1,334	8.4%	9.5	3
Michael	155	1,308	8.2%	9.3	2
Philly	68	583	3.7%	4.2	2
Jimmy	56	469	2.9%	3.4	2
Sara	44	369	2.3%	2.6	2
Susan	21	169	1.1%	1.2	1
Crowd	12	102	0.6%	0.7	1
Honor	11	89	0.6%	0.6	1
Nelly	7	49	0.3%	0.4	1
Men	6	34	0.2%	0.2	2
Town Crier	3	24	0.2%	0.2	1
Voices	4	24	0.2%	0.2	2
Girls	4	20	0.1%	0.1	1
Shaneen	2	13	0.1%	0.1	1
Voice	2	4	0%	0.0	1

Who speaks in which scene

Darker cells mean more words in that scene. Use it to plan rehearsal calls, or to see how long an actor waits between entrances.

Role	Act 1	Act 2	Act 3
Christy
Pegeen
Widow Quin
Mahon
Shawn
Michael
Philly
Jimmy
Sara

The longest speeches

Speech	Scene	Words	Lines
Christy: “Half a hundred beyond. Ten there. A score that…”	Act 2	224	23
Michael: “It’s the will of God, I’m thinking, that all s…”	Act 3	189	19
Christy: “I did, God help me, and there I’d be as happy …”	Act 1	120	12
Mahon: “I’m poorly only, for it’s a hard story the way…”	Act 3	96	10
Shawn: “Oh, Widow Quin, what’ll I be doing now? I’d in…”	Act 2	94	10
Michael: “The blessing of God and the holy angels on you…”	Act 3	89	9
Pegeen: “There was not, but a story filled half a page …”	Act 2	84	9
Mahon: “It’s maybe out of reason that that man’s himse…”	Act 3	83	9
Christy: “It’s little I’m understanding myself, saving o…”	Act 2	82	9
Pegeen: “It’s true the Lord God formed you to contrive …”	Act 1	81	9

Small roles that can be doubled

These pairs of small roles never speak in the same scene, so one actor could play both. Check entrances and silent appearances in your script before you cast it this way.

Philly and Susan
Philly and Honor
Philly and Nelly
Philly and Girls
Jimmy and Susan
Jimmy and Honor
Jimmy and Nelly
Jimmy and Girls
Sara and Voice
Susan and Crowd
Susan and Men
Susan and Town Crier

Questions actors ask

Who has the most lines in The Playboy of the Western World?

Christy, with about 506 lines and 4,266 words, 26.8% of everything spoken in the play. Pegeen is next, with about 395 lines (20.8%).

How long is The Playboy of the Western World?

The full text has 15,902 spoken words, about 114 minutes at 140 words a minute before pauses, scene changes, and cuts. Most productions cut the text, so running times vary.

How many speaking roles are in The Playboy of the Western World?

19 named roles speak in this edition, across 3 scenes. 10 of them have less than 2% of the words, which is why small parts are often doubled.