I 'thought' I'd got the right drama, but as I can't find any of the characters in the grid, I'm now begining to doubt my idea!
Without giving too much away is the drama T by GDM ?
If not can someone give me a hint?
Also with 19 across I've got an answer that is 7 letters long but only 4 cells to put it in.
Thanks in advance
That's brilliant gregsdad. I think I've thrown my copy away so can't check. Do the clashes give this painist as well? Excellent misdirection from the compiler (was it Pointer?). I take my hat(s!) off to him.
The clashes do indeed give the eight-letter pianist, Lazinski, starting at 39A/30D and moving anti-clockwise. Wow, what imagination and disguise. Pointer is a new setter I think.
That is frighteningly plausible, certainly the three characters work much better, but Wikipedia says the play Fedora was first performed in 1882 and the opera in 1898.