diff --git a/lib/client/api.go b/lib/client/api.go
index 337ef75b5d224..175a930ae935c 100644
--- a/lib/client/api.go
+++ b/lib/client/api.go
@@ -1397,6 +1397,8 @@ func (tc *TeleportClient) Join(ctx context.Context, namespace string, sessionID
 
 // Play replays the recorded session
 func (tc *TeleportClient) Play(ctx context.Context, namespace, sessionID string) (err error) {
+	var sessionEvents []events.EventFields
+	var stream []byte
 	if namespace == "" {
 		return trace.BadParameter(auth.MissingNamespaceError)
 	}
@@ -1416,13 +1418,12 @@ func (tc *TeleportClient) Play(ctx context.Context, namespace, sessionID string)
 		return trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
 	// request events for that session (to get timing data)
-	sessionEvents, err := site.GetSessionEvents(namespace, *sid, 0, true)
+	sessionEvents, err = site.GetSessionEvents(namespace, *sid, 0, true)
 	if err != nil {
 		return trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
 
 	// read the stream into a buffer:
-	var stream []byte
 	for {
 		tmp, err := site.GetSessionChunk(namespace, *sid, len(stream), events.MaxChunkBytes)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -1442,50 +1443,32 @@ func (tc *TeleportClient) Play(ctx context.Context, namespace, sessionID string)
 		}
 		defer term.Restore(0, state)
 	}
-	player := newSessionPlayer(sessionEvents, stream)
-	// keys:
-	const (
-		keyCtrlC = 3
-		keyCtrlD = 4
-		keySpace = 32
-		keyLeft  = 68
-		keyRight = 67
-		keyUp    = 65
-		keyDown  = 66
-	)
-	// playback control goroutine
-	go func() {
-		defer player.Stop()
-		key := make([]byte, 1)
-		for {
-			_, err = os.Stdin.Read(key)
-			if err != nil {
-				return
-			}
-			switch key[0] {
-			// Ctrl+C or Ctrl+D
-			case keyCtrlC, keyCtrlD:
-				return
-			// Space key
-			case keySpace:
-				player.TogglePause()
-			// <- arrow
-			case keyLeft, keyDown:
-				player.Rewind()
-			// -> arrow
-			case keyRight, keyUp:
-				player.Forward()
-			}
-		}
-	}()
-
-	// player starts playing in its own goroutine
-	player.Play()
+	return playSession(sessionEvents, stream)
+}
 
-	// wait for keypresses loop to end
-	<-player.stopC
-	fmt.Println("\n\nend of session playback")
-	return trace.Wrap(err)
+// PlayFile plays the recorded session from a tar file
+func (tc *TeleportClient) PlayFile(ctx context.Context, tarFile io.Reader, sid string) error {
+	var sessionEvents []events.EventFields
+	var stream []byte
+	protoReader := events.NewProtoReader(tarFile)
+	playbackDir, err := ioutil.TempDir("", "playback")
+	if err != nil {
+		return trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	defer os.RemoveAll(playbackDir)
+	w, err := events.WriteForPlayback(ctx, session.ID(sid), protoReader, playbackDir)
+	if err != nil {
+		return trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	sessionEvents, err = w.SessionEvents()
+	if err != nil {
+		return trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	stream, err = w.SessionChunks()
+	if err != nil {
+		return trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	return playSession(sessionEvents, stream)
 }
 
 // ExecuteSCP executes SCP command. It executes scp.Command using
@@ -2862,3 +2845,55 @@ func InsecureSkipHostKeyChecking(host string, remote net.Addr, key ssh.PublicKey
 func isFIPS() bool {
 	return modules.GetModules().IsBoringBinary()
 }
+
+// playSession plays session in the terminal
+func playSession(sessionEvents []events.EventFields, stream []byte) error {
+	var errorCh = make(chan error)
+	player := newSessionPlayer(sessionEvents, stream)
+	// keys:
+	const (
+		keyCtrlC = 3
+		keyCtrlD = 4
+		keySpace = 32
+		keyLeft  = 68
+		keyRight = 67
+		keyUp    = 65
+		keyDown  = 66
+	)
+	// playback control goroutine
+	go func() {
+		defer player.Stop()
+		var key [1]byte
+		for {
+			_, err := os.Stdin.Read(key[:])
+			if err != nil {
+				errorCh <- err
+				return
+			}
+			switch key[0] {
+			// Ctrl+C or Ctrl+D
+			case keyCtrlC, keyCtrlD:
+				return
+			// Space key
+			case keySpace:
+				player.TogglePause()
+			// <- arrow
+			case keyLeft, keyDown:
+				player.Rewind()
+			// -> arrow
+			case keyRight, keyUp:
+				player.Forward()
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+	// player starts playing in its own goroutine
+	player.Play()
+	// wait for keypresses loop to end
+	select {
+	case <-player.stopC:
+		fmt.Println("\n\nend of session playback")
+		return nil
+	case err := <-errorCh:
+		return trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/lib/events/auditlog.go b/lib/events/auditlog.go
index d8a5ff8066cc9..526a94aba588b 100644
--- a/lib/events/auditlog.go
+++ b/lib/events/auditlog.go
@@ -693,7 +693,7 @@ func (l *AuditLog) downloadSession(namespace string, sid session.ID) error {
 		start = time.Now()
 		l.log.Debugf("Converting %v to playback format.", tarballPath)
 		protoReader := NewProtoReader(tarball)
-		err = WriteForPlayback(l.Context, sid, protoReader, l.playbackDir)
+		_, err = WriteForPlayback(l.Context, sid, protoReader, l.playbackDir)
 		if err != nil {
 			l.log.WithError(err).Error("Failed to convert.")
 			return trace.Wrap(err)
diff --git a/lib/events/playback.go b/lib/events/playback.go
index 49d78e84bb665..b0bf47a1058e3 100644
--- a/lib/events/playback.go
+++ b/lib/events/playback.go
@@ -18,10 +18,13 @@ package events
 
 import (
 	"archive/tar"
+	"bufio"
+	"compress/gzip"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
+	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 
@@ -120,9 +123,9 @@ func Export(ctx context.Context, rs io.ReadSeeker, w io.Writer, exportFormat str
 	}
 }
 
-// WriteForPlayback reads events from audit reader
-// and writes them to the format optimized for playback
-func WriteForPlayback(ctx context.Context, sid session.ID, reader AuditReader, dir string) error {
+// WriteForPlayback reads events from audit reader and writes them to the format optimized for playback
+// this function returns *PlaybackWriter and error
+func WriteForPlayback(ctx context.Context, sid session.ID, reader AuditReader, dir string) (*PlaybackWriter, error) {
 	w := &PlaybackWriter{
 		sid:        sid,
 		reader:     reader,
@@ -134,7 +137,63 @@ func WriteForPlayback(ctx context.Context, sid session.ID, reader AuditReader, d
 			log.WithError(err).Warningf("Failed to close writer.")
 		}
 	}()
-	return w.Write(ctx)
+	return w, w.Write(ctx)
+}
+
+// SessionEvents returns slice of event fields from gzipped events file.
+func (w *PlaybackWriter) SessionEvents() ([]EventFields, error) {
+	var sessionEvents []EventFields
+	//events
+	eventFile, err := os.Open(w.EventsPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	defer eventFile.Close()
+
+	grEvents, err := gzip.NewReader(eventFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	defer grEvents.Close()
+	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(grEvents)
+	for scanner.Scan() {
+		var f EventFields
+		err := utils.FastUnmarshal(scanner.Bytes(), &f)
+		if err != nil {
+			if err == io.EOF {
+				return sessionEvents, nil
+			}
+			return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
+		}
+		sessionEvents = append(sessionEvents, f)
+	}
+
+	if err := scanner.Err(); err != nil {
+		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+
+	return sessionEvents, nil
+}
+
+// SessionChunks interprets the file at the given path as gzip-compressed list of session events and returns
+// the uncompressed contents as a result.
+func (w *PlaybackWriter) SessionChunks() ([]byte, error) {
+	var stream []byte
+	chunkFile, err := os.Open(w.ChunksPath)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	defer chunkFile.Close()
+	grChunk, err := gzip.NewReader(chunkFile)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	defer grChunk.Close()
+	stream, err = ioutil.ReadAll(grChunk)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, trace.Wrap(err)
+	}
+	return stream, nil
 }
 
 // PlaybackWriter reads messages until end of file
@@ -147,6 +206,8 @@ type PlaybackWriter struct {
 	eventsFile *gzipWriter
 	chunksFile *gzipWriter
 	eventIndex int64
+	EventsPath string
+	ChunksPath string
 }
 
 // Close closes all files
@@ -278,11 +339,11 @@ func (w *PlaybackWriter) openEventsFile(eventIndex int64) error {
 	if w.eventsFile != nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	eventsFileName := eventsFileName(w.dir, w.sid, "", eventIndex)
+	w.EventsPath = eventsFileName(w.dir, w.sid, "", eventIndex)
 
 	// update the index file to write down that new events file has been created
 	data, err := utils.FastMarshal(indexEntry{
-		FileName: filepath.Base(eventsFileName),
+		FileName: filepath.Base(w.EventsPath),
 		Type:     fileTypeEvents,
 		Index:    eventIndex,
 	})
@@ -296,7 +357,7 @@ func (w *PlaybackWriter) openEventsFile(eventIndex int64) error {
 	}
 
 	// open new events file for writing
-	file, err := os.OpenFile(eventsFileName, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND, 0640)
+	file, err := os.OpenFile(w.EventsPath, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND, 0640)
 	if err != nil {
 		return trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
@@ -308,11 +369,11 @@ func (w *PlaybackWriter) openChunksFile(offset int64) error {
 	if w.chunksFile != nil {
 		return nil
 	}
-	chunksFileName := chunksFileName(w.dir, w.sid, offset)
+	w.ChunksPath = chunksFileName(w.dir, w.sid, offset)
 
 	// Update the index file to write down that new chunks file has been created.
 	data, err := utils.FastMarshal(indexEntry{
-		FileName: filepath.Base(chunksFileName),
+		FileName: filepath.Base(w.ChunksPath),
 		Type:     fileTypeChunks,
 		Offset:   offset,
 	})
@@ -328,7 +389,7 @@ func (w *PlaybackWriter) openChunksFile(offset int64) error {
 
 	// open the chunks file for writing, but because the file is written without
 	// compression, remove the .gz
-	file, err := os.OpenFile(chunksFileName, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND, 0640)
+	file, err := os.OpenFile(w.ChunksPath, os.O_WRONLY|os.O_CREATE|os.O_APPEND, 0640)
 	if err != nil {
 		return trace.Wrap(err)
 	}
diff --git a/tool/tsh/tsh.go b/tool/tsh/tsh.go
index c2580c9cddc3d..330561c54daba 100644
--- a/tool/tsh/tsh.go
+++ b/tool/tsh/tsh.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"os"
 	"os/signal"
 	"path"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"runtime"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
@@ -608,8 +609,21 @@ func onPlay(cf *CLIConf) error {
 		if err != nil {
 			return trace.Wrap(err)
 		}
-		if err := tc.Play(context.TODO(), cf.Namespace, cf.SessionID); err != nil {
-			return trace.Wrap(err)
+		switch {
+		case path.Ext(cf.SessionID) == ".tar":
+			sid := sessionIDFromPath(cf.SessionID)
+			tarFile, err := os.Open(cf.SessionID)
+			defer tarFile.Close()
+			if err != nil {
+				return trace.ConvertSystemError(err)
+			}
+			if err := tc.PlayFile(context.TODO(), tarFile, sid); err != nil {
+				return trace.Wrap(err)
+			}
+		default:
+			if err := tc.Play(context.TODO(), cf.Namespace, cf.SessionID); err != nil {
+				return trace.Wrap(err)
+			}
 		}
 	default:
 		err := exportFile(cf.SessionID, cf.Format)
@@ -620,6 +634,11 @@ func onPlay(cf *CLIConf) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+func sessionIDFromPath(path string) string {
+	fileName := filepath.Base(path)
+	return strings.TrimSuffix(fileName, ".tar")
+}
+
 func exportFile(path string, format string) error {
 	f, err := os.Open(path)
 	if err != nil {