Guardian 27,557 – Puck

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Puck helpfully tells us that today’s puzzle is to celebrate a 60th birthday…

… of the actress Fiona Shaw. Apart from her name at 9a it’s not necessary to know anything about her to solve the puzzle, but there are lots of references to parts she has played in the answers, so some knowledge of theatre and cinema would probably help. Thanks to Puck.

 
 
 
 
 
 
Across
1. PESETA Old man injecting drug fix once ready (6)
E[cstasy] + SET (fix) in PA – ready = cash, money, and the Peseta was the former currency of Spain
4. DURSLEY Date surely problematic for Cotswold town (7)
D + SURELY* – J K Rowling was born near Dursley, and used it as a name in the Harry Potter books; in particular Fiona Shaw played PETUNIA (Dursley)
9. FIONA SHAW Portrayer of women, after a fashion represented here (5,4)
(A FASHION)* + W, and I’ll count it as an &lit (not just a portrayer of women: she played the title role in Richard II)
10. BROOK Director of British piece (5)
B + ROOK (chess piece) – Peter Brook, film and theatre director
11. CRETE Unattached detective’s left Greek island (5)
DISCRETE less D[etective] I[nspector]’S
12. VELVETEEN Supply 11, importing check fabric (9)
VET in ELEVEN*
13. DICKIER Less reliable fellow? That’s right (7)
DICK (man, fellow) + I.E. (that is)
15. DEMISE End of old EMI’s empire (6)
Hidden in olD EMI’S Empire
17. MARNIE Thriller, first from Matthew Arnold (6)
M[atthew] + ARNIE – book made into a Hitchcock film. Fiona Shaw played Marnie Stonebrook (see 2d and 10a) in the TV series True Blood
19. ARSENIC As actor discontentedly simulated endless incest (7)
A[cto]R + anagram (“simulated”) of INCES[t] – As is the chemical symbol for Arsenic
22. INCIPIENT Beginning in Nice, tip poorly (9)
(IN NICE TIP)*
24. MEDEA The tragedy of some deaths (5)
Hidden in soME DEAths – Shaw played the title role
26,29. HEDDA GABLER One way to score goal, say, with good skilful wing play (5,6)
Homophone of “header” + G + ABLE + R (right – one of the wings in football etc) – as played by Fiona Shaw
27. TRUNDLING Rolling Stones’ second, then Radiohead? Flunkey wants Queen (9)
Second letter of sTones + first (head) of Radio + UNDERLING less ER
28. PETUNIA Bloomer affecting most of nuptial agreement, essentially (7)
Anagram of NUPTIA[L] + [agre]E[ment]
Down
1. PO-FACED A third pic of one daughter looking humourless (2-5)
P (one-third of PIC) + OF + ACE + D
2. STONE Rock and roller, in that context? (5)
Double definition – I think “in that context” is because the Rolling Stones are a rock band
3. TRAGEDIAN Actor from Turkey, old chap (9)
TR + AGED IAN
4. DAWDLED Old man went first, accepting wife moved slowly (7)
W in DAD LED – the second time we’ve had “Old man” for father
5. RUBLE 21 breaking the law in foreign capital (5)
B (Bishop) in RULE
6. LOOKERS-ON Witnesses gangster leaving beauty salon (7-2)
LOOKER (a beauty) + SALON less AL (Capone)
7. YOKING Joining together in greeting monarch (6)
YO (greeting) + KING
8. SHAVER Young lad? He’ll not need this! (6)
Double definition – a shaver is young man, presumably an ironic description, as he wouldn’t need a shaver.. so “double” is perhaps being generous
14. CHANCED IT Grisly death? C-in-C took the risk (7,2)
(DEATH C IN C)*
16. MASS MEDIA Service mostly average? Press for example (4,5)
MASS (church service) + MEDIA[N]
18. ELECTRA Play in Claret & Blue’s last game (7)
Anagram of CLARET+ [blu]E – another title role for Fiona Shaw
19. ACTS UP Behaves badly, having drink after do (4,2)
ACT (do) + SUP
20. CLANGER Golfer underclubs? Stupid mistake (7)
C + [Bernhard] LANGER
21. BISHOP One’s bound to support black man going on board (6)
B + I’S + HOP (bound)
23. PRAWN Initially named Wilson, actor recently playing rising swimmer (5)
Initial letters of Named Wilson Actor Recently Playing, reversed. Shaw was born Fiona Wilson
25. DRILL Exercise? One needs a bit (5)
Double definition

64 comments on “Guardian 27,557 – Puck”

  1. I had solved quite a few clues with no sense of the theme when I had a breakthrough by working backwards; when checking online that the unfamiliar 4a anagram DURSLEY (D-SURELY) was a town in the Cotswolds, I saw it was also a name in Harry Potter. As I already had PETUNIA ar 28a, I realised that 9a (for which I already had some crossers) must be the actor FIONA SHAW. It was then interesting to link the other roles she has played at 17a MARNIE, 24a MEDEA, 26/29a HEDDA GABLER and 18d ELECTRA.
    I liked the mini-theme of The Rolling Stones at 27a TRUNDLING and 2d STONE.
    Despite all this good fun, it was a DNF for me, as I had BLOCK not BROOK at 10a, figuring it was B + LOCK, as in a piece of hair, for the director Hans Block. However perhaps I should also have seen that both BISHOP 21d and ROOK in this one referenced the chessboard.
    Thanks to Puck for the challenge and to Andrew for the helpful explanations.

  2. A nice steady solve from Puck today, a gear or two easier than his recent prize, and despite not knowing the actor. For 2d I had a bout of ‘think of eveything bar what the clue is shouting at you’ (slate, shale, scree, swale), so it and Fiona Shaw took as long as the rest of the puzzle. As well, I was worried about ‘here’ in 9a, being too too dim to think ‘Ah lots of dramas etc., must be an actor’s cv’.

    Good fun though, thanks Puck and Andrew.

  3. Another great tour de force from Puck – and Andrew: Puck for a most impressive piece of grid-filling and Andrew for a meticulously detailed blog.

    I got 9ac about halfway through, I think, and like Julie, found the rest of the solve fascinating and absorbing, as each thread of the theme gradually revealed itself – wonderful stuff!

    I searched to see if Peter Brook had directed Fiona Shaw but all I found was a reference to him at the end of this interesting article.

    Many thanks to setter and blogger – an absolute gem.

     

  4. [Thanks Eileen, I really enjoyed the link you posted. I gained a very favourable impression of Fiona Wood from reading the article.]

  5. Thanks Andrew – I know nothing about the themestress, but learning new stuff is always a welcome side-benefit of doing cryptics. I warm to any performer who can turn her hand to Hedda Gabler, and Super Mario Bros! Cheers to Puck for the puckishness.

  6. Had trouble with 20d. If the clue had read ‘Footballer underclubs? Stupid mistake (7)’ would have had it immediately. (Alfie Langer)

    Cheers for great solve.

  7. The explanation of 13ac does not account for the final R.

    YOKING made me chuckle.

    Thanks to Puck and Andrew.

  8. Like others, I knew very little of this lady but enjoyed following Eileen’s link.  Quite an arc of performance.

    Impeccable cluing allowed the whole thing to be solved without the slightest idea of the theme – Ms Shaw was one of my LOsI.

    Had WACKIER for DICKIER for a while, employing the Liverpudlian wack for fellow.

    Most enjoyable stiff from the imp, many thanks.

    Nice week, all.

  9. Marnie is a reference to True Blood where she played Marnie Stonebrook (2d/10a)

    Brilliant puzzle. I finished it knowing nothing about Ms Shaw or her various roles and it was a joy to google and find out just how many themed answers Puck crammed in without the solver needing any specialist knowledge at all.

  10. [Mike from Queensland@6, I suspect I am the only person who might get your Alfie Langer reference…except perhaps for Copmus from Magnetic Island… Julie on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia]]

  12. I feel either embarrassed or snobby? to say the only theme I havent read is HP-but we have the first film.

    I also think that was doable without GK. I didnt connect Petunia with Dursley but Medea and Electra stirred something but when I got to 26/29 I was stuck in  ancient Greek territory thinking-is there a HYDRA something and it dawned on me and was confirmed by a check button on Y that I was barking up the wrong era.Then a tea tray hit-I only read it a year ago.

    So, all in all, it could be said that the theme is obscure but puzzles like this are great for bringing someone like FS to the attention of at least puzzle solvers.

    Isnt she directing opera as well? Remarkable talent-from Ireland once again

    Great puzzle and blog

  13. Thanks Julie in Australia@10 – I was very much tongue-in-cheek. And it is nice to know the names of other close-by solvers. I’m from Hervey Bay and it’s a pleasure to to meet you.

  15. Thanks to Puck and Andrew. I found this tough going, knowing little bar the name about the actress. However realised it was something about theatre and was able to grind it out thanks to some helpful cluing. The 60th threw me a bit because by coincidence having recently rediscovered an old copy of monkey puzzles (which was too tough at the time) I realised Araucaria’s first Guardian puzzle was in 1958. I just wondered but soon discovered I was wrong. However still an enjoyable puzzle and another day on which I have learned something new. Thanks again to Puck and Andrew.

  17. Thanks both,

    I’d done about half and then looked up the Guardian ‘birthdays’  column 4pp before the crossword. Does this count as cheating? Finding I knew nothing about FS, which was clearly the solution to 9a, I then googled her (which clearly is cheating) and the rest of the crossword fell into place.

  18. Thank you Puck for an enthralling puzzle, Andrew for a helpful blog and Eileen @3 for an interesting link.

    I only knew of the name Fiona Shaw as an opera director, but that did not spoil the enjoyment of solving.

  19. I’m another who solved it without spotting the theme was FS! I was thinking theatre and HP but didn’t make the obvious connection. Thanks to links to her illustrious career.
    I’d forgotten READY = MONEY and loved the misdirecting ONCE. And like Jam@7 I chuckled at YOKING and was reminded of Bush greeting TB with “Yo Blair”. Lots more to enjoy and good to see extensive contributions from our Antipodean friends – and I hope the English centric epithet doesn’t offend.
    Thanks to Puck for another cracker and to Andrew for a great blog.

  20. DNF and didn’t especially enjoy – I struggled to get on Puck’s wavelength. It didn’t help that one of the last clues I solved was Fiona Shaw. It was a useful learning experience – the way double maths used to be!

    Thanks to both setter and blogger.

  21. I am glad I resisted the temptation to look up today’s birthdays – I guessed we were looking at somebody theatrical and female pretty early but until FIONA SHAW was last in I didn’t work out who! All very clever and fun to solve.

    Thanks to Puck and Andrew

     

  22. P.S. didn’t RUBLE as ‘foreign capital’ appear in another puzzle fairly recently? Perhaps ‘Russian capital’? Or did I completely imagineer that?

  24. Thanks to Puck and Andrew. I got FIONA SHAW early on so that several items fell into place for I’ve seen several of her stage performances (including her Richard II) and met her – and she even did a one-actor rendition of T. S. Eliot’s The Wasteland. I did not know DURSLEY but did eventually figure out the anagram, and I missed the subtraction of Al-gangster in parsing LOOKER’S-ON..

  25. As for HP, my nieces were huge fans back then, and I remember Dobbie and the cake, but the surname Dursley hadn’t registered, so no help; solving was totally GK-less, which is a tribute to Puck, as others have said.

  26. beery hiker @ 23: I don’t recognize that one (and I will confess I may not have solved that version!). Perhaps I just had deja vu. 🙂

  27. Made a complete mess of this: never found Fiona Shaw (haven’t heard of her either), and had FLOOR SHOW (“Fashion represented here”) instead, but couldn’t parse of course; had MALICE instead of MARNIE – it was also a thriller, M + ALICE Arnold. So had no hope getting TRAGEDIAN. Oh well. Thanks nevertheless to P & A!

  28. This is also the 60th anniversary of parking meters in the UK so I was looking for Lovely Rita, Meter Maid – unsuccessfully!  Great puzzle nevertheless – thanks Puck and Andrew

  29. Thanks Puck and Andrew

    Sorry, the theme meant nothing to me, so rather left me cold. I can’t be satisfied with my completion either, as I also had a “partly parsed” FLOOR SHOW (as drofle @27), but checked it, and the correct letters left an easy guess (though a less complete parse, if at all!).

    I also initially had TREACLE for 18d, thinking “I’ll check later who wrote that play – sounds like Dennis potter”!

    Odd to have Rolling Stones in 27a, then the solution for 2d referring back to them?

    I didn’t like “fellow” for DICK in 13a. I wonder how Paul might have clued this?

  31. Thanks to Puck and Andrew.

    I was another that couldn’t find the theme, and who has never heard of Fiona Shaw. Nevertheless, a very enjoyable puzzle, and finished despite my embarrassing ignorance.

  32. Never heard of FIONA SHAW and didn’t get 9ac until virtually the end. Like Muffin, I tried to get FLOOR SHOW but couldn’t make it work so I googled SHAW and voila! And then realised it was an anagram. The clues -even the Harry Potter one didn’t help at all with the theme so,while there is some cleverness here, I can’t say I enjoyed this much.
    Thanks anyway Puck.

  33. Couldn’t really see the point of flagging up an anniversary that very few people would be aware of. Or care about.

    Gave up on this after eight solved clues. That’s an hour I’ll never get back

  35. Some of the later comments strike me as rather niggardly. It has been pointed out that solving the puzzle did not require any knowledge of the themed person – which, however, enhanced the experience for those who were fortunate enough to have it.  I suspect that Puck is a keen admirer – or, given the Irish connection, possibly even an acquaintance of the subject.

    The Times crossword etiquette does not allow reference to a living person. Here we have a puzzle themed round a highly regarded living actor who has a birthday today. I’d like to say that I hope she’s having a good one. Many thanks again to Puck.

  39. Seriously, Eileen, what’s the point of a crossword celebrating the birthday of someone (as the thread demonstrates) isn’t in the consciousness of many of us?

  41. Far to esoteric. Never heard of the woman. Solved it with a lot of checking and increased blood pressure. And prawns don’t f…ing swim.

  42. muffin @39 – I would say that this thread confirms more that the contributors are not dedicated readers of the Guardian’s art pages than that Fiona Shaw obscure. She has iconic status in the newspaper, not just for her acting ability but for her direction and promotion of theatre, Most of the roles cited in the crossword will have been supported by double page features in G2. Personally, I can’t think of many people more deserving of recognition in this context.

  44. I am not denying that the majority on this board are against me. I am questioning why this proves that Fiona Shaw is an undeserving nobody.

  47. Like Eileen, I’m surprised and disappointed at some of the reactions to this puzzle. As has been pointed out several times, it wasn’t necessary to know anything about Fiona Shaw to solve the puzzle, apart from solving the fairly simple clue to her name. It helped to know the names of a couple of what are surely well-known plays, but to accuse the puzzle of requiring “too much obscure GK” seems ridiculous. I knew hardly anything of Ms Shaw before today, and now I know quite a bit more about someone who is clearly a significant person in her field – surely a good thing?

     

     

  48. It’s almost midnight here and I have just finished the crossword.  Thinking of giving myself a new user name – Old Slow Coach!

    Seriously though, I had never heard of Fiona Shaw but thoroughly enjoyed the puzzle.  Had to resort to googling in the end but so what?  Enjoyed it and learned a lot – what else do we do puzzles for?

    Many thanks to Puck and to Andrew.

  49. Things perhaps would be less controversial if “special instructions” were left out of the headings to Guardian crosswords – Phi usually builds his crosswords around a theme to give himself a challenge, but does not expect solvers to spot it.

    As I posted above I enjoyed the crossword, and having heard of Fiona Shaw as an opera producer did not help; I, too, at first wanted to enter FLOOR SHOW at 9a!

  50. PS, also the “special instructions” rather spoiled Arachne’s crossword last week – special instructions as regards themes should not be necessary.

  51. Andrew @47

    I go along with everything you say about this crossword and (therefore) concur also with those who expressed similar sentiments.

    I found this quite challenging, and I completed it being only dimly aware of a theme forming but not knowing who was at the centre of it until I solved my last clue: FIONA SHAW.  I enjoyed the experience anyway but would have enjoyed it more if I had realised how replete the grid was with themed solutions.  The puzzle really is an admirable construction from a top setter.

    As always (when I post at this sort of time), it’s all been said.

    Many thanks to Puck, Andrew and contributors from all corners!

  52. I echo Van Winkle at 42 in support of the brilliant Fiona Shaw. Some surprisingly snotty remarks elsewhere. A

  53. I was rather underwhelmed by this theme too. I don’t think anyone actually said FS was an undeserving nobody Van Winkle @44. I am sure she must be a great asset to drama, but nevertheless not all that well known. And a 60th birthday? So what? We seem to be having a lot of themes lately, and the novelty is wearing off.

    I lost interest in the crossword because I couldn’t figure out the theme and kept focusing on that instead of the individual clues. So dnf with 2 left, despite having got FS. Without the reference to a theme at the top I would have persevered and probably enjoyed.

    Oh well can’t like them all. Thanks Puck anyway, and Andrew for filling in my blanks.

  54. PPS, the fifteensquared blog for the Guardian has many contributors, someone would usually spot a theme if there were one if the blogger had not, look at what fun it was yesterday when Hovis spotted that Nina!

  56. A lovely tribute to a very accomplished individual. I didn’t know anything about her (more accurately: I didn’t know that I knew anything about her); and now I do.

    I’d much rather learn about marvellous people while they are still celebrating birthdays, rather than by the more usual method of reading the obituary page.

    I don’t understand the negative comments. The world is full of extraordinary people that we, individually, may not have heard of.

  57. Busy day at work, finally just making it here (it’s probably just me and the crickets in here at this late hour).  I thought this was a great puzzle.  I kept seeing theatrical references (MEDEA, HEDDA GABLER, ELECTRA, and ARSENIC [as in “…and Old Lace”] in the early going, and I thought 9ac could possibly be (something) SHOW, but then I got DURSLEY followed by PETUNIA, and that’s what caused the lightbulb to go on that the puzzle must be about the 60th birthday of 9ac FIONA SHAW.  I knew her only from her recurrent role in the HP movies as Aunt Petunia, but the puzzle clearly indicated, and a post-solve review of her Wikipedia entry confirmed, that she had starred in so many other (primarily stage) roles.  Very enjoyable solve followed by very enjoyable learning.  That sure beats a sharp stick in the eye.  My favorites included DRILL, CLANGER, SHAVER, ARSENIC and TRUNDLING.

    Many thanks to Puck and Andrew and the other commenters.

  58. Finona Shaw was third in (I was able to solve in order ’til I hit 13ac – thought ‘wackier’ but unsure so paused for crossers) and my thought was “well, it’s not her; she can’t possibly be 60”!!
    I don’t object to themed puzzles (overt or covert) and, given it was a Puck, only whetting. But, in general terms, I have some sympathy with cookie’s views.

    As ever with Puck a fabulous crossword if at his more accessible. And thanks to Andrew.

    Now – is it coming home? It’s Wednesday as I tap (always late to comment) and I’m wearing a waistcoat for the first time in over thirty years (at least). I hope we’ll be in our red strip, it seems we perform better when thus garbed!

  59. I am late to the party as I had to put it down and come back later to finish so probably no-one will read this! Whether or not you previously knew who FS was, I can commend her performance as an eccentric spy in the tv series Killing Eve. I had literally finished watching it when I picked up the crossword so that was my good fortune that she was front of mind. Thanks to puck and Andrew.

  60. Quick and late daft laddie question – why, in 28ac, does essentially in the clue mean use the central character of a word?

  61. After thinking about the use of ‘extreme’ in clues, I’m guessing essential here is denoting the inner nature of the word.

    One other thing that I missing; I’ve noticed that ‘supply’ is occasionally used to point towards the use of an anagram – is this justified by the letters or words to scramble are supplying the solution?

  62. Only started this one after dinner today; shame that solvers get hung up on trivia rather than simply enjoying exercising their brains. I could grumble with 16D as median means middle not average – but only a mathematical pedant would care! Get a life folks.

  63. Vikingson @61

    This is extremely late, but there is just a chance that you will see this!

    ‘Supply’ as an anagram indicator comes from its adverbial use: in a supple way.  (You would pronounce it SUPply rather than supPLY.)  This is quite an old chestnut, but not used nearly as often as many other anagram indicators.

    And yes, words like ‘essentially’ or ‘essence of’ can be taken to mean all the letters bar the first and last.  It is a modern (but not really new) idea.  Similarly, there are modern and quite imaginative ways of indicating the first and last letters of a word, e.g. ‘case of wine’ can indicate the letters WE.

    Hope this helps.

  64. Alan B @63

    Brilliant, thank you!!!  I would never have picked up the link between supple and supply!  Hopefully that will help keep that one on my head now.

    Also appreciate the further clarification about the other indicators.

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