Solving time: 15 minutes. I was doing well on this one but lost at least 5 minutes on my last two in, CANDLELIGHT, which I saw as a word that fitted but was reluctant to enter until I’d explained it, and HERD which required a lengthy alphabet trawl.
As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in square ones]. I usually omit all reference to positional indicators unless there is a specific point that requires clarification.
 Across |
|
| 1 | Performing in just one role with kind acts, running around (8) |
| TYPECAST | |
| TYPE (kind), anagram [running around] of ACTS | |
| 5 | Only some of the choirboys return (4) |
| ECHO | |
| Hidden in [only some of] {th}E CHO{irboys} | |
| 8 | Lord with nothing to hide in farm building (5) |
| BARON | |
| O (nothing) contained by [to hide in] BARN (farm building) | |
| 9 | Charm of northern church apprehended by English worker (7) |
| ENCHANT | |
| N (northern) + CH (church) contained [apprehended] by E (English) + ANT (worker) | |
| 11 | Gruesome times for holy learner to join religious journeys (11) |
| PILGRIMAGES | |
| PI (holy – pious), L (learner), GRIM (gruesome), AGES (times) | |
| 13 | Repetitive noise from rodent let loose (6) |
| RATTLE | |
| RAT (rodent), anagram [loose] of LET | |
| 14 | A team’s casual comments? (6) |
| ASIDES | |
| A, SIDE’S (team’s) | |
| 17 | Representative groups idle on stage unfortunately (11) |
| DELEGATIONS | |
| Anagram [unfortunately] of IDLE ON STAGE | |
| 20 | Sound of our country composer (7) |
| BRITTEN | |
| Sounds like [sound of] “Britain” (our country) – The Times being a British newspaper. Celebrated (if that’s the right word) by Flanders & Swann here on a rare excursion into cruel parody. | |
| 21 | Within Lincoln I would stay (5) |
| ABIDE | |
| I’D (I would) contained by [within] ABE (Lincoln) | |
| 22 | Finishes with more than one goal (4) |
| ENDS | |
| Two meanings, the second being the plural (more than one) of goal | |
| 23 | Sent communication to a good journalist after muddle (8) |
| MESSAGED | |
| MESS (muddle), A, G (good), ED (journalist) | |
| Down |
|
| 1 | Name of male bishop hugged by model (4) |
| TOBY | |
| B (bishop) contained [hugged] by TOY (model) | |
| 2 | Fortification where you may see soldier and dog? (7) |
| PARAPET | |
| PARA (soldier), PET (dog?) | |
| 3 | Ability to see through something wicked? (11) |
| CANDLELIGHT | |
| Cryptic. A candle being something containing a wick that produces light enabling one to see. | |
| 4 | Reticent about sin creating alcoholic drink (6) |
| SHERRY | |
| SHY (reticent) containing [about] ERR (sin) | |
| 6 | Sound of tribe heading for glory (5) |
| CLANG | |
| CLAN (tribe), G{lory} [heading for…] | |
| 7 | Most stupid old boy facing ordeal, getting you and me involved (8) |
| OBTUSEST | |
| OB (old boy), TEST (ordeal) containing [getting…involved] US (you and me) | |
| 10 | Happens to arrive somewhere in the mountains carrying small son (5,2,4) |
| COMES TO PASS | |
| COME TO (arrive) + PASS (somewhere in the mountains) containing [carrying] S (small – abbreviation of – son) | |
| 12 | Like food given to King? It’s within the bounds of possibility (8) |
| CREDIBLE | |
| CR (King – Charles Rex), EDIBLE (like food) | |
| 15 | Stylish Gandhi’s on the move (7) |
| DASHING | |
| Anagram [on the move] of GANDHI’S | |
| 16 | Expert entertaining a hundred without hesitation (2,4) |
| AT ONCE | |
| ACE (expert) containing [entertaining] TON (a hundred) | |
| 18 | Landowner died, to be buried under den (5) |
| LAIRD | |
| LAIR (den), D (died) | |
| 19 | Crowd perceived to be heartless (4) |
| HERD | |
| HE{a}RD [perceived) [heartless] | |
After a couple of weeks or so of new work endeavours not permitting the time to attempt a finish on day of publication (and even then a depressingly large number of DNFs as I caught up over following days) I managed to finish this one. Time is irrelevant- the joy is seeing all that Green😁
I was 10:27, biffing CANDLELIGHT as my LOI, having spent a good few minutes trying to justify it at various points as each checker went in. In the end it had to be right but I still couldn’t work it out. I need to do better at recognising that the question mark often means “this is a cryptic / playful clue [and make sure you re-read it and think of all synonyms of every word in there, and sometimes homographs too]”