Weekend Quick Cryptic 79 - Solution

My fellow TimesforTheTimes contributors Phil Jordan, Sawbill and I are continuing to produce Quick Cryptic crosswords to fill the gap left by the Saturday Times not having one. The plan is for us to take turns, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's my turn. 

You can find a link to the crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTT. You can find an index to the complete series of crosswords here. 

LONDON MEETING NEXT SATURDAY. We are having a London get together on Saturday 24th June from 11:30 at The George, Borough High Street, Southwark, Greater London, SE1 1NH. All are welcome. Your Weekend Quick Cryptic Compilers and several TfTT bloggers and regular commenters will be there. We are also expecting Mick Hodgkin, the Times Puzzles Editor, Richard Rogan, Times Crossword Editor and Pete Biddlecombe, Sunday Times Crossword Editor and founder of Times for The Times to drop in. The George no longer allows tables outside to be booked so some of us will arrive earlier than 11:30 to bag a couple of tables at the back on the right hand side of the courtyard. There could be up to 20 of us in total. Do come along if you can.

Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help, click the label below.

Hints...

Some hints and tips:

• The title is itself the answer to a double definition clue "Break is when the drama begins (8)" and there are thematic answers in the grid relating to both definitions
• In 9A, what do you lose when you lose your wits?
• The court in 12A is not a Law court.
• There is a triple definition among the down clues.
• You don't need to know what Pelagianism is.

And click on this label to get the solution.

Solution and explanation of the answers...

Definitions underlined in bold italics, (Abc)* indicating anagram of Abc,  {deletions} and [] other indicators.

Across
1 One's quiet before start of youngsters' pastime (1-3)
I-SPY – I’S (one’s) P (quiet) [start of[ Youngsters.
3 Jump ahead of a golfer beginning to putt badly (8)
LEAPFROG – (a golfer [beginning to] p{utt})* [badly].
9 Elgin's treasures lost in witlessness (7)
MARBLES – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint referring to ‘losing ones marbles’.
10 Danger signal to the French marine (5)
ALARM – A LA (to the, in French) RM (Royal Marine).
11 Rushes to send back valuable instrument (5)
DARTS – STRAD (valuable instrument) sent back.
12 Some returned punches in netball causing court appearance (6)
TENNIS – Hidden in reversed, [some returned], puncheS IN NETball  -> TENNIS. Forgive the slightly elliptical definition but I couldn’t resist the potential surface.
14 Notices a wobble initially causing up and down motion (6)
SEESAW – SEES (notices) A Wobble [initially].
16 Cry out in pain and confess (6)
SQUEAL – Double definition.
19 Puts off deciding where to watch play (6)
STALLS – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint. And now we are into the second definition of “Playtime” as a theme.
21 Croat playing leading man, perhaps (5)
ACTOR – (Croat)* [playing].
24 A long piece of wood going across ship (5)
ABEAM – A BEAM (long piece of wood).
25 Short article on popular hanging (7)
CURTAIN – CURT (short) A (article) IN (popular).
26 The adjusted rates for staging areas (8)
THEATRES – THE  (rates)* [adjusted] .
27 Plan for part of allotment (4)
PLOT – Double definition.
 
Down
1 Boastful Mussorgsky introduces himself thus (8)
IMMODEST – Double definition with a cryptic hint. The composer’s name is Modest Mussorgsky, hence I’M MODEST.
2 Meandering Peru river is comparatively free from pollution (5)
PURER – (Peru)* [meandering] R (river).
4 Some tigers at zoo are fake (6)
ERSATZ – Hidden in [some] tigERS AT Zoo.
5 Downright ugly prairie (5)
PLAIN – Triple definition.
6 Discover lies are fabricated (7)
REALISE – (lies are)* [fabricated].
7 Ducks and drakes, maybe, are target of shoot (4)
GAME – Double definition, the first by example hence the ‘maybe’.
8 State request in a note (6)
ALASKA – ASK (request) in A LA (note).
13 Instrument fashionable in Bordeaux (8)
CLARINET – IN (fashionable) in CLARET (Bordeaux red wine).
15 Radical maiden hides in old tree (7)
EXTREME – M (maiden in cricket score book), in EX (old) TREE.
17 One hunted for rock producer (6)
QUARRY – Double definition.
18 Leaders of Pelagianism suggest you can heal every human soul (6)
PSYCHE – An acrostic. [Leaders of] Pelagianism Suggest You Can Heal Every.
20 Military Intelligence infiltrates lake north of Italian border (5)
LIMIT – MI (military intelligence) in L (lake) IT (Italian).
22 Follow some footprints (5)
TRAIL – Double definition.
23 Group of players' deplorable acts (4)
CAST – (acts)* [deplorable].