9-across – Recast the three leading characters in play, not well : INCAPABLY

10-across – Venerated female heard but not seen in programmes : CERES

11-across – Name of David’s girlfriend — but her heart wasn’t in it : EMILY

12-across – Furious triad of Brussels bureaucrats ahead of a fateful day? : EUMENIDES

13-across – Does, for example, what’s wrong in France, cutting wages : FEMALES

14-across – Scene of drama — in which masked man wields knife : THEATRE

17-across – What each little woman had in play : THREE

19-across – eg 23, preceded by 17 21 in novel : AMY

20-across – Name first of female trio, annually : APRIL

21-across – See 17 : SISTERS

22-across – Arranged dowries as members of Shakespearean threesome? : WEIRDOS

24-across – Alcott and her characters represented as sweet : CHARLOTTE

26-across – Vessel carrying vital supply from China or Taiwan : AORTA

28-across – Field and bowl : ARENA

29-across – Growth man cut, in case : ACCRETION

1-down – Olympian English family raised : NIKE

2-down – Division in church exists between ends of spectrum : SCHISM

3-down – Where I keep something secret : UPMYSLEEVE

4-down – A bachelor pursued by so-called queen, leader in sisterhood? : ABBESS

5-down – Reflective quality about top spy mystery, oddly : SYMMETRY

6-down – Son allowed to do survey : SCAN

7-down – Indicator of tense change in excited raptor, such as a hawk : PREDATOR

8-down – Divine female with one sibling : ISIS

13-down – Honours, we hear, those dealing with life and death matters : FATES

15-down – Removed in period prescribed, but not the first time : ERADICATED

16-down – 11’s pen-name some embellished : ELLIS

18-down – Ruby embracing Victoria or Virginia, in other words : RESTATED

19-down – Almost everyone protested in a way about a fierce dog : ALSATIAN

22-down – Girl hiding sister’s last tool : WRENCH

23-down – Novel heroine’s passionate, with extreme letters exchanged : DORRIT

24-down – Preserve line within large family : CLAN

25-down – 17 21 constituted issue for this tragic father : LEAR

27-down – Girl taking a course from Exeter to Leeds : ANNE

1-across – Horse observed that has teeth : HACKSAW

5-across – Chap keen to stay in Keaton film about slapstick, originally : BATSMAN

9-across – No more breakfast : TOAST

10-across – Tasty little French thing, is it? Hubby, pack your bags! : MANGETOUT

11-across – Slate rocks on river in South African city : EASTLONDON

12-across – Vessel always filled with water, primarily : EWER

14-across – Relative, 4 1 down, cruelly? : MOTHERINLAW

18-across – 14 seen as wicked? What a ridiculous question! : THEANSWERIS

21-across – Drink got bigger : ROSE

22-across – A school and hospital I built to accommodate parking for one ever present on the high street? : SHOPAHOLIC

25-across – Expecting pudding, he put salad first : UPTHEDUFF

26-across – Sweet mint sauce’s back : BOMBE

27-across – Indian greeting some poets, a mantra recalled : NAMASTE

28-across – Operatic bride, South American girl : SUSANNA

1-down – Murder king, despatching a murderous leader : HITLER

2-down – Vulgar line recited? : COARSE

3-down – Small town deal : SETTLEMENT

4-down – She obtained nursing degree : WOMAN

5-down – Belt required when stout, with nothing left to tuck in : BANDOLEER

6-down – Bay, perhaps, where thorough­fare is out of bounds : TREE

7-down – Second working rule drawn up before end of week, reversing move by Jackson? : MOONWALK

8-down – Fastener on top, new dark colour : NUTBROWN

13-down – Wife seen embracing that man in taxicab after vacation, fail to grasp opportunity : MISSTHEBUS

15-down – Drag first of hostages inside worthless residence : TOWNHOUSE

16-down – Great performance set in motion to take Ashes trophy : STARTURN

17-down – Where one has relocated male article : NEWSITEM

19-down – See 18 : ALEMON

20-down – Eye part clears after treatment : SCLERA

23-down – Birds dropping in light gusts of wind : PUFFS

24-down – Hobbit’s central characters, drones perhaps : BEES

1-across – Poems from elegist on vacation, tucking into eight pints : FOURQUARTETS

9-across – Liberal with urge to follow Conservative Party leader once : CLEGG

10-across – Sorted out basin that holds litres for washing : ABLUTIONS

11-across – Discredits rubbish in article in Le Monde? : DEBUNKS

12-across – Fishy food reportedly expensive, one ruminates : ROEDEER

13-across – Twerps accepting promotion, more than one daily : CHARLADIES

15-across – Wanting appeal in cases of upskirting and larceny : UGLY

18-across – Tender European remainers do so : BIDE

19-across – Possible future queen, old man’s offspring hugs Edward : PASSEDPAWN

22-across – Picaroon is entertained by Tramp in some papers : DOSSIER

24-across – Figures feeling less special : NUMBERS

25-across – Sound of horn back in jazzy hit musical style : HONKYTONK

26-across – Many a laptop has installed a browser : NYALA

27-across – Very merry daughter larks around giddily : DRUNKASALORD

1-down – Worry love-filled poet will show bit of neck : FRETBOARD

2-down – You are heard on piano with great persistence : URGENTLY

3-down – Topless groups of men revealing big muscles : QUADS

4-down – Wholly reformed Greens? They may provoke a reaction : ALLERGENS

5-down – Social media’s ignored with a laugh : TITTER

6-down – Recurring idea of revolutionary English Left : TROPE

7-down – Cutting papers penned by a military chief : ACIDIC

8-down – Huge creature that’s hunted piscivore : OSPREY

14-down – Mounting attack, a hero runs and runs : DIARRHOEA

16-down – Greece has one country mansion fit for the King : GRACELAND

17-down – Vow by this person, one playing Mozart work : IDOMENEO

18-down – Immature bloomer had vexed enlightened teacher : BUDDHA

20-down – News about one American behind reversing car : NISSAN

21-down – Politician with vote against backing Gaddafi? : LIBYAN

23-down – eg Cervantes’s title the writer leaves higher up : SENOR

24-down – Religious image overturned by answerphone manufacturer : NOKIA

8-across – Big jumper everyone in conflict loves : WALLAROO

9-across – Flights of fancy supremacist leader in organisation conjured up : SPACE

10-across – Python having a snooze? : IDLE

11-across – Harry: kid returning with barrel, having trapped a monster : GARGANTUAN

12-across – Powerful woman, concern of 26’s rival in 9? : AMAZON

14-across – Battle site a shade outside capital in Oman, inducement required to defend it : SPIONKOP

15-across – Language student again taken in by a rogue : ARABIST

17-across – Wrinkly earthman is going after final wishes — did he boldly go? : WILLIAM

20-across – A criminal back into drugs, tried : HADABASH

22-across – 26’s business, better returns in it : SPACEX

23-across – Company considered stocking hairpiece marked with parallel folds : CORRUGATED

24-across – Ring children’s character back : HOOP

25-across – Moisten first of tissues that’s poked into bottom : BASTE

26-across – Rich man investing amount of money in country house after retirement : ELONMUSK

1-down – Upset on sea, wretched mostly — so it is! : MALDEMER

2-down – Down payment raised in company owned by 26’s rival in 9 : BLUE

3-down – See 2 : ORIGIN

4-down – See 9 : TOURISM

5-down – Country Spain hit in India : ESWATINI

6-down – Constable country, with criminal stealing two articles? : EASTANGLIA

7-down – Flipping old story ending in wedding — that’s sweet : GELATO

13-down – Lazy as grazers munching top of bush, variegated plant : ZEBRAGRASS

16-down – Shimmering bridge shown after opening of gate : SPANGLED

18-down – Local river south of a lake, did you say? : ALEHOUSE

19-down – See 17 : SHATNER

21-down – A second US president arising, primitive life form : AMOEBA

22-down – I had put in crooked nose, laterally : SIDEON

24-down – It’s a song, that man said : HYMN

1-across – Item for kitchen goes with mine : TURNSPIT

5-across – Plain idiot with plan to retreat : PAMPAS

9-across – City backing shop that’s picked up capital : NEWDELHI

10-across – Break Sierra and another car that won’t start? : SIESTA

12-across – African nation in recession clings to singular belief : ISLAM

13-across – Fruit or nettle with spike around it : TANGERINE

14-across – Resisting current rough work, we hear, by old boring academic : DRAUGHTPROOF

18-across – Notice tiny country in which Republican is to run : ADMINISTRATE

21-across – Criticise those people constricting one’s faith : PANTHEISM

23-across – How tale ends in delightful relation : NIECE

24-across – Give a wide berth to high region : IGNORE

25-across – Bickie and a doughnut separately scoffed by Gallic bigwig : MACAROON

26-across – Outside of tweedy coats tear with it : TRENDY

27-across – Darling ally’s safe with cooking equipment : PETERPAN

1-down – Figure rising crime is court’s raison d’être : TENNIS

2-down – No longer cultivate a lot of wit, following soldiers : REWILD

3-down – Small club overrunning eg Chelsea, one doing lots of pressing : STEAMIRON

4-down – Stifling short satisfied sound, wearing attractive outfit for dogging? : INHOTPURSUIT

6-down – Not everyone should hear this song : ASIDE

7-down – Act I put on, a divine fellow in the main : POSEIDON

8-down – Get rid of starter of salt fish no longer on the menu : SHAKEOFF

11-down – Where to write about horny male running amok : ONTHERAMPAGE

15-down – Emperor, say, spread guards round part of camp : POTENTATE

16-down – Pervert isn’t commonly getting slap : WARPAINT

17-down – Big reputation? Artist consequently loses head : EMINENCE

19-down – Get back ruler overthrown by power grab : RECOUP

20-down – Tunesmith’s numbers filling holiday season up : LENNON

22-down – Not half elated on daughter getting engaged : HIRED