diff --git a/.github/workflows/cypress.yml b/.github/workflows/cypress.yml
index 65e538e..cba8281 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cypress.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cypress.yml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         dir:
           - packages/next
+          - packages/react
           - packages/sanity-next
 
     steps:
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 33e4421..254459d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -45,5 +45,7 @@ export default function Example({ background }) {
 
 This project uses Lerna to release versions, using [the default versioning strategy](https://lerna.js.org/docs/features/version-and-publish#versioning-strategies).
 
+- `yarn lerna run test` - Run all tests
 - `yarn lerna version` - Tag a new version
-- `yarn lerna publish from-package` - Publish versions to NPM
+- `yarn lerna publish [major|minor|path]` - Tag and publish a version
+- `yarn lerna publish from-package` - Publish the current version
diff --git a/packages/next/cypress/support/commands.ts b/packages/next/cypress/support/commands.ts
index 6307497..012519e 100644
--- a/packages/next/cypress/support/commands.ts
+++ b/packages/next/cypress/support/commands.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Cypress.Commands.add('hasDimensions',
 Cypress.Commands.add('isPlaying',
   { prevSubject: true },
   (subject) => {
-  cy.wrap(subject).should('have.prop', 'paused', true)
+  cy.wrap(subject).should('have.prop', 'paused', false)
 })
 
 // Add Typescript support for custom commaands
diff --git a/packages/next/src/NextVisual.tsx b/packages/next/src/NextVisual.tsx
index 8432227..198f1bf 100644
--- a/packages/next/src/NextVisual.tsx
+++ b/packages/next/src/NextVisual.tsx
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ export default function NextVisual(
     priority,
     sizes,
     imageLoader,
+    playing,
     alt,
     className = '',
     style = {},
@@ -67,7 +68,8 @@ export default function NextVisual(
         fit,
         position,
         priority,
-        noPoster: !!image // Use `image` as poster frame
+        noPoster: !!image, // Use `image` as poster frame
+        playing,
       }} /> }
 
     </VisualWrapper>
diff --git a/packages/next/src/types/nextVisualTypes.ts b/packages/next/src/types/nextVisualTypes.ts
index 8a23dfa..bd3bf06 100644
--- a/packages/next/src/types/nextVisualTypes.ts
+++ b/packages/next/src/types/nextVisualTypes.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ export type NextVisualProps = {
   sizes?: string
   imageLoader?: Function
 
+  playing?: boolean
+
   alt: string
 
   className?: string
diff --git a/packages/react/cypress.config.ts b/packages/react/cypress.config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..27593d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react/cypress.config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import { defineConfig } from "cypress";
+
+export default defineConfig({
+  viewportWidth: 500,
+  viewportHeight: 500,
+  component: {
+    specPattern: "cypress/component/**/*.cy.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}",
+    devServer: {
+      framework: "next",
+      bundler: "webpack",
+    },
+  },
+});
diff --git a/packages/react/cypress/component/LazyVideo.cy.tsx b/packages/react/cypress/component/LazyVideo.cy.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5313caa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react/cypress/component/LazyVideo.cy.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+import { useState } from 'react'
+import { LazyVideo } from '../../src'
+
+// Make an instance of LazyVideo that can be controlled
+const Player = function({ autoplay }: any) {
+
+  const [playing, setPlaying] = useState(autoplay)
+
+  return (<>
+    <LazyVideo
+      src='https://placehold.co/300x200.mp4'
+      alt=''
+      playing={ playing }/>
+    <div style={{ position: 'relative' }}>
+      <button onClick={() => setPlaying(true)}>Play</button>
+      <button onClick={() => setPlaying(false)}>Pause</button>
+    </div>
+  </>)
+}
+
+
+describe('playback', () => {
+
+  it('can be paused and then restarted', () => {
+    cy.mount(<Player autoplay={true} />)
+    cy.get('video').isPlaying()
+    cy.get('button').contains('Pause').click()
+    cy.get('video').isPaused()
+    cy.get('button').contains('Play').click()
+    cy.get('video').isPlaying()
+  })
+
+  it('can be started and then paused', () => {
+    cy.mount(<Player autoplay={false} />)
+    cy.get('video').isPaused()
+    cy.get('button').contains('Play').click()
+    cy.get('video').isPlaying()
+    cy.get('button').contains('Pause').click()
+    cy.get('video').isPaused()
+  })
+
+})
diff --git a/packages/react/cypress/support/commands.ts b/packages/react/cypress/support/commands.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..062cc2c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react/cypress/support/commands.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+/// <reference types="cypress" />
+
+// Check that a video is playing
+// https://glebbahmutov.com/blog/test-video-play/
+Cypress.Commands.add('isPlaying',
+  { prevSubject: true },
+  (subject) => {
+  cy.wrap(subject).should('have.prop', 'paused', false)
+})
+
+// Check that a video is playing
+// https://glebbahmutov.com/blog/test-video-play/
+Cypress.Commands.add('isPaused',
+  { prevSubject: true },
+  (subject) => {
+  cy.wrap(subject).should('have.prop', 'paused', true)
+})
+
+// Add Typescript support for custom commaands
+// https://docs.cypress.io/guides/tooling/typescript-support#Types-for-Custom-Commands
+export {};
+declare global {
+  namespace Cypress {
+    interface Chainable {
+
+      hasDimensions(
+        width: number,
+        height: number
+      ): Chainable<JQueryWithSelector>
+
+      isPlaying(): Chainable<void>
+      isPaused(): Chainable<void>
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+
diff --git a/packages/react/cypress/support/component-index.html b/packages/react/cypress/support/component-index.html
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e9a4010
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react/cypress/support/component-index.html
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html>
+<html>
+  <head>
+    <meta charset="utf-8">
+    <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge">
+    <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width,initial-scale=1.0">
+    <title>Components App</title>
+    <!-- Used by Next.js to inject CSS. -->
+    <div id="__next_css__DO_NOT_USE__"></div>
+    <style>
+      html, body {
+        padding: 0;
+        margin: 0;
+      }
+    </style>
+  </head>
+  <body>
+    <div data-cy-root></div>
+  </body>
+</html>
diff --git a/packages/react/cypress/support/component.ts b/packages/react/cypress/support/component.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41b935d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react/cypress/support/component.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+// Import commands.js using ES2015 syntax:
+import './commands'
+
+// Alternatively you can use CommonJS syntax:
+// require('./commands')
+
+import { mount } from 'cypress/react18'
+
+// Augment the Cypress namespace to include type definitions for
+// your custom command.
+// Alternatively, can be defined in cypress/support/component.d.ts
+// with a <reference path="./component" /> at the top of your spec.
+declare global {
+  namespace Cypress {
+    interface Chainable {
+      mount: typeof mount
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+Cypress.Commands.add('mount', mount)
diff --git a/packages/react/cypress/tsconfig.json b/packages/react/cypress/tsconfig.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..537c251
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react/cypress/tsconfig.json
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{
+  "compilerOptions": {
+    "target": "es5",
+    "jsx": "preserve",
+    "lib": [
+      "es5",
+      "dom"
+    ],
+    "types": [
+      "cypress",
+      "node"
+    ]
+  },
+  "include": [
+    "**/*.ts",
+    "**/*.tsx"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/packages/react/package.json b/packages/react/package.json
index cf60e04..6c426b7 100644
--- a/packages/react/package.json
+++ b/packages/react/package.json
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@
     "dist/**/*"
   ],
   "scripts": {
-    "build": "rm -rf dist/* && tsc"
+    "build": "rm -rf dist/* && tsc",
+    "test": "cypress run --component"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "react-intersection-observer": "^9"
diff --git a/packages/react/src/LazyVideo.tsx b/packages/react/src/LazyVideo.tsx
index 12e544f..8cbcbaf 100644
--- a/packages/react/src/LazyVideo.tsx
+++ b/packages/react/src/LazyVideo.tsx
@@ -2,20 +2,54 @@
 "use client";
 
 import { useInView } from 'react-intersection-observer'
-import type { ReactElement } from 'react'
+import { useEffect, type ReactElement, useRef, useCallback } from 'react'
+import type { LazyVideoProps } from './types/lazyVideoTypes';
 
 import { fillStyles, transparentGif } from './lib/styles'
 
 // An video rendered within a Visual that supports lazy loading
 export default function LazyVideo({
-  src, alt, fit, position, priority, noPoster
-}: any): ReactElement {
+  src, alt, fit, position, priority, noPoster, playing = true
+}: LazyVideoProps): ReactElement {
+
+  // Make a ref to the video so it can be controlled
+  const videoRef = useRef<HTMLVideoElement>()
 
   // Watch for in viewport to load video unless using priority
-  const { ref, inView } = useInView({
+  const { ref: inViewRef, inView } = useInView({
     skip: priority
   })
 
+  // Support multiple refs on the video. This is from the
+  // react-intersection-observer docs
+  const setRefs = useCallback((node: HTMLVideoElement) => {
+    videoRef.current = node
+    inViewRef(node)
+  }, [inViewRef])
+
+  // Store the promise that is returned from play to prevent errors when
+  // pause() is called while video is benginning to play.
+  const playPromise = useRef<Promise<void>>()
+
+  // Play the video, waiting until it's safe to play it.  And capture any
+  // errors while trying to play.
+  const play = async () => {
+    if (playPromise.current) await playPromise.current
+    try { playPromise.current = videoRef.current?.play()}
+    catch (e) { console.error(e) }
+  }
+
+  // Pause the video, waiting until it's safe to play it
+  const pause = async () => {
+    if (playPromise.current) await playPromise.current
+    videoRef.current?.pause()
+  }
+
+  // Respond to playing prop and call methods that control the video playback
+  useEffect(() => {
+    playing ? play() : pause()
+  }, [ playing ])
+
   // Simplify logic for whether to load sources
   const shouldLoad = priority || inView
 
@@ -24,17 +58,19 @@ export default function LazyVideo({
 
       // Props that allow us to autoplay videos like a gif
       playsInline
-      autoPlay
       muted
       loop
 
+      // Whether to autoplay
+      autoPlay={ playing }
+
       // Load a transparent gif as a poster if an `image` was specified so
       // the image is used as poster rather than the first frame of video. This
       // lets us all use responsive poster images (via `next/image`).
       poster={ noPoster ? transparentGif : undefined }
 
       // Straightforward props
-      ref={ref}
+      ref={setRefs}
       preload={ shouldLoad ? 'auto' : 'none' }
       aria-label={ alt }
       style={{
diff --git a/packages/react/src/types/lazyVideoTypes.ts b/packages/react/src/types/lazyVideoTypes.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aff6d15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/react/src/types/lazyVideoTypes.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+import type { CSSProperties } from 'react'
+
+export type LazyVideoProps = {
+
+  // Source props
+  src: HTMLVideoElement['src']
+  alt: string
+
+  // Don't lazy load
+  priority?: boolean
+
+  // Use a transparent gif poster image
+  noPoster?: boolean
+
+  // Controls autoplaying and current playing state
+  playing?: boolean
+
+  // Display props
+  fit?: CSSProperties['objectFit']
+  position?: CSSProperties['objectPosition']
+}
diff --git a/packages/sanity-next/cypress/support/commands.ts b/packages/sanity-next/cypress/support/commands.ts
index 6307497..012519e 100644
--- a/packages/sanity-next/cypress/support/commands.ts
+++ b/packages/sanity-next/cypress/support/commands.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Cypress.Commands.add('hasDimensions',
 Cypress.Commands.add('isPlaying',
   { prevSubject: true },
   (subject) => {
-  cy.wrap(subject).should('have.prop', 'paused', true)
+  cy.wrap(subject).should('have.prop', 'paused', false)
 })
 
 // Add Typescript support for custom commaands