Listener 4296: Playgroup By Ifor

[AHearer]

One of those frustrating ones where the last four clues took as long to sort out as the rest of the clues and the theme altogether. Apart from those four, it was all pretty clear, so thanks Ifor. I seem to remember the theme's having been used before, but the pleasure was not diminished by that. The only snag is that with time left over I'm having to ask myself whether to go back to that unfinished numerical....

[jim360]

One wonders if, here, I'm going to find my lack of literature knowledge a painful hindrance. A full grid bar the missing cell, but no hint as to how to fill it, nor what the title is (though, surely, it must contain the two obvious words)

[Ruthrobin]

Can you start to imagine the hours of work that have gone into creating this astonishing work of art! A superb achievement, thanks, Ifor. Almost a shame that we were not, in some way, required to identify the 'appropriate number' of extra words or phrases in the down clues (which were fun to find) - but I can see that that would have been difficult to engineer.

[trux]

Yes ... tough solve even with many generous anagram clues. Took me far too long to twig as to what the work was but I really enjoyed picking off the answers towards the end, one by one. Many thanks to Ifor for my second dose of fun from him in less than a week; it's clear that he has wide cultural tastes (both themes getting thumbs up from me, too).

[bobbycollins]

May I butt in to heartily recommend the June Crossword Centre puzzle - World Cup Team (1982) from WAN? Hugely enjoyable and probably more difficult than the majority of this year's Listeners or EVs

[BobHWW]

This is a tough one from Ifor. Although I have a full grid including the central square and I'm happy with the theme and the author, I feel I must be missing something. I have one less extra word/phrase definition than is 'appropriate' but two possibilities for the final one, neither of which seem to fit. Think I'll have a rest and look at it again later.

[upsetter]

Magnificent construction - the PDM came to the rescue with only one entry remaining.

[jim360]

As it happens one of my two obvious words was wrong (although it was the number so an easy mistake to make). Made it over the line now. A very clever and well-constructed puzzle indeed, Ifor.

[aldanna]

I loved this crossword, and am feeling pleased that the general opinion is that it is quite tough. Enormous fun, thank you, Ifor.
Incidentally, was anyone else pleased to have a bonus Times crossword on Wednesday morning, only to find it was Thursday's up a day early, so nothing for Thursday.

[tilbee]

Agree with others that this was a superb construction. Some fortuituous guesswork soon revealed the required author via Google. Although I have all of the extra words or phrases, one of them is proving somewhat troublesome in deriving the associated item, though not really required for completion.

Good fun puzzle, many thanks to Ifor.

[Staurologist]

Superb construction, indeed. And once you've figured out the rules of the game it all falls into place quite easily, including the name of the author asked for. This particular playgroup has been a favourite of mine for many years, from the time when I won a civic competition for schoolchildren, by writing a critical essay about it. The prize was a tour of London, Stratford, and Chichester, but my family had already booked a holiday abroad and, to my great regret, I couldn't go. However, the playgroup lives on in my mind.

[Staurologist]

...and yes, AHearer, the theme has been used once before in the Listener. In addition, on two other occasions the group was referred to in the titles of puzzles that were about other groups entirely :>)

[olichant]

I found this quite punishing, but what a clever construction, and an enjoyable solve for all that it was tricky. Thanks, Ifor. (And I confess it was nice not to be staring at a sheet full of branch diagrams of three-digit numbers...)

[AHearer]

Thanks for that confirmation, Staurologist: it's good to know that I wasn't hallucinating!

[tilbee]

Did anyone else notice, that if you have one too few "extra word or phrase" then you can discover an oeuvre of a much more contemporary character ?

[fallster]

Quite enjoyable. Nice sequence of feeling "quite hard", to "oh that's how you enter them", to "ah! the title / author". Very nice construction, making all the across entries real words or phrases.
I'm still stuck on one entry though.

[Mesnilpat]

Tilbee, I got to the actual theme by stumbling across a more contemporary one on google - which is probably the one you've found. What a workout that was! I had no knowledge of the theme and learnt several new words this weekend. I don't think I would have solved a few of the down clues without quinapalus Hats off to Ifor for the construction.

[jim360]

I wonder how many other people stumbled open the same thing on their way to the answer. Assuming we're talking about the same false trail, then scrolling down on the appropriate wikipedia page gets you to the right place in the end!

[starwalker]

Congratulations to Ifor for this splendid exploitation of a hole in my knowledge. Now, back to the Magpie, where there appears to be another hole. What am ? - a Swiss cheese ?

[Scorpius]

I guess I'm in a minority of one, finding this an unenjoyable slog. Even after spotting what was missing from every entry after about 20 solves it was a struggle to get to the end, throwing all the resources of TEA at it.
I've no idea of the theme. I have a disparate collection of five seemingly unrelated words and phrases (there may be others that I've missed) which hint at nothing for me. Seeing that some have 'stumbled' on the theme accidentally does not give me hope.

I realize the grid must have been murder to construct, but the wealth of unchecked letters makes it pretty murderous for the solver.

[jabone]

Thanks to Ifor, with acknowledgements to quinapalus and Anne Bradford. Just filled in last square, now have to transcribe it accurately!