| Clues across |
| 1 | Nonsense murmured by actors (7) |
| 5 | Polished ship berthed in dilapidated lodge (7) |
| 9 | Having a nap until last letter is removed – then in action (5) |
| 10 | Matured – like a film? (9) |
| 11 | Tin can? Knock tin can over, losing first of vegetables (9) |
| 12 | Infidel hid in this buried city (5) |
| 13 | Woman – daily, maybe (5) |
| 15 | Orange bomb mostly re-designed to return to sender (9) |
| 17 | Seasonal gift from great geese, missing start of emigration (6,3) |
| 18 | Trap wild animal in church (5) |
| 20 | Sort of pencil used to confront disturbed crowd – a terrifying weapon! (1-4) |
| 22 | Someone carving chess pieces (craft found in Warwick?) (9) |
| 24 | Skill just seen in sale of handiwork (5,4) |
| 25 | Fiddle detected in scam at Inland Revenue (5) |
| 26 | Let Cath adjust shoelace (7) |
| 27 | Failure to start work with explosives is continuing (7) |
|
| Clues down |
| 1 | In favour of root and branch reform? Or just root? (7) |
| 2 | Noun I used mistakenly for ‘marriage’ (5) |
| 3 | Annoy a horse at rave, going wild (9) |
| 4 | Ran fake bad debts off to get overnight accommodation (3,3,9) |
| 5 | Controller’s standing on wrong leg near Queen’s representative (8-7) |
| 6 | Dirty, losing head, getting lubricated (5) |
| 7 | Putin’s pal turns out to be a petitioner (9) |
| 8 | Avoiding dog – note drink’s been consumed (7) |
| 14 | Incompatible woman’s offspring steps on insect (9) |
| 16 | Surround mariner’s guide, preceded by two of its points (9) |
| 17 | Cheat and lie, for the most part, in confusion. Such behaviour’s not this (7) |
| 19 | Woman’s ornament is a fish (7) |
| 21 | Creature from belfry seen over church belonging to this group? (5) |
| 23 | Uniform colour? (5) |
|
