Listener 4249 Play's Opening By Shark

[olichant]

This seemed so easy at first - until half the grid was filled and I was suddenly utterly stumped. Even with almost all the grid filled, the penny took a long time to drop. But what a clever treatment of the theme, even if it's not exactly my favourite.

[Alekhine]

Yes, I had a similar level of confusion regarding the red line.

The location of the play, the significance of the colour ... that all makes sense ... but why that particular line?

And, yes ... it does contravene the law to some extent.

[Mesnilpat]

Having had family to visit at the weekend, I've just finished the grid. I've twigged the theme but my total lack of knowledge of (and indeed interest in) same, means that that's probably about it for me. The significance of the abbreviation and the 'markings' shall be a mystery until the solution is published I fear. Still, I enjoyed the grid fill. Thanks Shark.

[trux]

Perhaps you do all hate the theme, or are disinterested, but some of the comments here seem to me to be becoming a little churlish f(and rather disingenuous) for what is a pretty smart grid construction - and the location is not random at all, it is confirmed in the appropriately coloured bible we call BRB... Put me firmly amongst the fans of this crossword!!

[Philoctetes]

OK, Trux, agreed it is smart and well-constructed. But what does the line represent? Could it equally well have been a completely different shape? If so, then it is not as tight as we would expect; if not, then the theme is still too obscure.

[borealis]

Oh dear. I enjoyed this a lot, and thought I had finished.... and then I read the comments here, and don't understand several of 'em! Either I missed something, or some of you are expecting something that's not there. Like simplex I didn't use the most obvious colour for the three features, though. Thank you, Shark, and hope the red line is not representative of Play in the future.

[easterfool]

Well I enjoyed this one very much even though the theme leaves me cold. Pennies dropped at various stages - is that what they use at the start these days or are gold sovereigns more appropriate? I enjoyed being fuddles, going wrong, realising my error, putting it right and then realising that I understood everything but one feature. Then suddenly that one plopped into place - more please, Shark.

[Scorpius]

I didn't start this until today, so I'm rather behind. Having filled the grid I'm with the negatives on this one. The fact that I've got no interest in the theme is not really an issue in itself; after all, a setter cannot please all of the people all of the time. However, my unfamiliarity with the theme means I'm floundering, and I'm not helped by so much that's vague or cryptic in the preamble. First I'm left wondering whether I've made a mistake in the grid because I have only 2 blank cells to fill, which seems to me less than "a few". I don't know how precise the location of "another small circle" has to be, though I have a rough idea of where it should be. I think I understand the rationale behind the red line to be drawn. But the major obstacle is making any sense of "three thematic markings", especially when doesn't even exist until I have made some changes to an undefined number of letters. I can even see some letter changes in the sw corner of the grid that will yield a word and real crossing words but I cannot see it's relevance. I've spent ages reading stuff on Wikipedia and am still none the wiser.

On the plus side, I did think the clues were rather good.

[trux]

Oh, what a struggle this was! Took ages to twig how to begin and even after that the rest only followed at snail's pace. Can't say I'm the greatest fan (give me back last week's theme any day!!) but liked the neat use of the numbers and the PDM held itself off for a very long time. It all fits together unambiguously in the end, so thanks to BeRo but I feel I've been the full 15 rounds...

[trux]

Oops ... typed this in wrong place. Lucky I'm better at solving than posting....

[Scorpius]

Got there in the end, aided by someone who couldn't solve a cryptic clue to save his life but who is an avid devotee of the theme. After I explained what I'd deduced about the theme he spotted some of the markings in the grid and I was able to work out the rest.

Credit where it's due, the grid is a magnificent achievement, and I feel less negative about the puzzle now.

I still think the preamble is confusing to a non-connoisseur. In particular, there is a lot in the preamble that suggests the theme is very specifically related to what is revealed by the misprints, so ignoramuses like me go in search of colours and markings (badges?) and can spend a long time finding nothing coherent. But as far as I can see the bulk of the theme as represented in the final grid is general, not specific.

I hope any colour will do for the delineation so long as it's not red. If there's something thematic in the choice of colour then I've got it wrong.

[Staurologist]

I'm pretty uninterested in this theme (and neither do I have any reason to be disinterested, Trux). However, the subject is hardly escapable, given the enormous amount of coverage it gets. Furthermore, one can appreciate the beauties of a well-wrought puzzle, such as this one, without being interested in the topic. One might even learn something.