Inquisitor 1347

[Ripper]

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

[Laphria]

If your answer is 7 letters long, read the clue again.

I have three candidates for the characters, but they are not convincing me yet.

Your idea is correct.

[Gregsdad]

I've given up on the wordsearch but is the last letter of the 8-letter depicted character in 28A ?

[Ripper]

My idea of the drama is 6 letters long, beginning with T
I'm now sure this is incorrect
Gosh, I need some (major) help!!!
Got a feeling this is going to be easier when I get the drama!
Thank you Laphria & Gregsdad (Greg obviously has a lovely Dad!)

[Gregsdad]

Hi Ripper

Many thanks, I try to be kind to my son !

You are right, the eponym is 6 letters starting with T. I suspect this is not one of your run-of-the-mill wordsearches.....

[boreas]

I am struggling with 26A/17D.
Is there a clash there?

Ditto 34A/35D.

Thanks for any help offered.

[Gregsdad]

Boreas

I don't have any clashes in 26A/17D or 34A/35D but I have one in 38A/35D - last letter of 38A / second letter of 35D could be A/K.

[rabet]

I have a full grid and the "picture" but cannot see the three characters ~ these seem to be irrelevant as we are not required to highlight them.

[Ripper]

Thank you Gregsdad, I'm definitely struggling with this one. I've no idea about the octagon or what revelance it has to the drama.

[Gregsdad]

Ripper

I think it's best not to think of a conventional 'octagon', the clashing cells are placed in the grid so that when you link them up in a certain way, following the letters of the 8-letter piano player starting at the uppermost clash, they give the outline of the object named after the eponymous soprano

[snowy_owl]

I have a completed grid, and have identified the pianist and the drama. I have 8 letter clashes and they are the letters I was expecting but when I connect them the octagon doesn't much look like what I was expecting. Are the letters connected in order? Does the shape look much like what it is supposed to be? Also my first letter of the pianist is not the uppermost clash but in 31. Have I got something wrong? I can't find the three characters either. I have a list of 12 characters in addition to the pianist and the eponym, and for 3 of these I have 2 names - the full name and a nickname but I can't find any of them! Though there seem to be lots of bits of names.

[snowy_owl]

I've found my mistake, and now have a sensible shape but I must have another mistake as I now have a 9th clash! I think I'll be able to work it out now though.

[Gregsdad]

Hi

My first letter is 14A/5D, my last (8th) is at 28A/18D. My 'octagon' does look like the shape T-----. I gave up on the characters, I'm sure they're in there somewhere but I got fed up looking for them.

[boreas]

It's good to see that this puzzle has created a lot of activity on TAB, which has been very quiet over the last few weeks.
I think most of us have more or less got there, apart from the characters.
But I still can't parse 17D or 35D. Or understand the definition for 39A.

[Gregsdad]

Boreas,

All these clues have clashing letters

17D: I think, but I may be wrong, that this is "Steep" (difficult) - e (one of a pair. E& W perhaps ?) = step (stage)

35D: is "Skye" (terrier) + r = skyer, a dangerous strike, presumably in cricket

39A: def. is "band used to check locks there" = tenia (number (ten) + ia (one American) = tenia, US spelling of taenia, an ancient Greek headband

[Indy-trier]

Hi Boreas
When you resolve the clash in 39A Chambers gives one definition of this word as a Greek hair ribbon - the word play being a 3 letter number followed by I (1) and A (American).
I too have the eponym, piano player and octagon but I need help with 25D and parsing my answer for 41A please.
I can't find the other characters either! Fun so far but I hate to leave untidy bits!

[Indy-trier]

PS As soon as I posted this answer I solved 25d! I had the second letter of 34A wrong! Now I have a full grid but I still don't understand my answer to 41A and I still can't find those elusive characters!

[Neveracrossword]

I think 41 A is just - Via = road, 'does not carry a' means to drop the 'a'. Vehicle is car. 'Vicar' can mean substitute.

[boreas]

Many thanks everyone!

[Indy-trier]

Thanks Neveracrossword! Happy now - apart from the fact I still can't find those other characters that are meant to be running across the grid!!

[Gregsdad]

I had given up on this but came back to it after acouple of days away. I kept looking at OLGA in the bottom row and after a lot of trawling came up with an opera Fedora by Giordano. Look it up. We've all been had but in the nicest possible way. Brilliant !