A Puzzle by Scintilla (formerly Spartacus)
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The puzzle is available by clicking on the above grid.
As usual, the setter will be delighted to receive feedback from you, the solvers. We do ask that you remember that for most setters this is a new experience, so please only offer constructive criticism.
A warm welcome back to Scintilla. Her previous crossword (under nom de plume of Spartacus) was good. This one was better. There were one or two rough edges and a couple of clues that did not quite work but the commentometer is an improved 3.5/29 or 12.1%.
Across
1a Lear’s affliction created mostly by head (7)
MADNESS: A four-letter word meaning created without the final letter (mostly) followed by a four-letter word for a head or promontory.
5a Flourish from magician, making ring disappear (7)
PROSPER: The name of the magician in The Tempest without the final O (making ring disappear.
9a The earth? Throw into empty grave (5)
GLOBE: The three-letter word meaning throw inside the outer letters (empty) of grave.
10a &21a. Idle wit played with broken tin can in Comedy of Errors perhaps (9)
IDENTICAL TWIN: An anagram (played) of IDLE WIT and an anagram (broken) of TIN CAN. Whilst the play is about the solution, this does not make the definition a synonym of the solution. Also, having two anagram indicators does not work in this case as the solution is not an anagram of one word plus an anagram of another word or words. In this clue, all of the letters have to be rearranged in one go to obtain the solution.
11a Curtailment of holiday (3rd-8th) after suitcase’s end falls off (10)
TRUNCATION: The third to eighth letters of an eight-letter word for a holiday after a five-letter word for a suitcase with the final letter removed (end falls off).
12a Left because of almost nothing (4)
LOVE: The abbreviation for left followed by a four-letter word meaning because of with the final letter removed (almost).
14a Soup starter, fish second, fruit compote finally for Anne’s husband perhaps (11)
SHAKESPEARE: The first letter (starter) of soup followed by a four-letter name of a fish, a four-letter name of a fruit and the final letter of compote. Soup starter does not indicate the first letter of soup. You would soup’s starter or starter of soup.
18a Reproach Sartre and Monet in review (11)
REMONSTRATE: An anagram (in review) of SATRE MONET.
21a see 10a (4)
22a Dictator’s blade and nastily snide son lead to immoral actions (10)
SORDIDNESS: A homophone (dictator’s) of SWORD (blade) followed by an anagram (nastily) of SNIDE and the abbreviation for son.
25a Fake current Lloyd Webber musical with brief interval making a comeback (9)
IMITATIVE: The letter representing electrical current followed by a reversal (making a comeback) of a five-letter name of a Lloyd Webber musical and a four-letter word for a period of time (interval) with the final letter removed (brief).
26a Consented to take top off, resulting in desire (5)
GREED: A six-letter word meaning consented without the first letter (to take top off).
27a Trespass originally every day, in other words indefinitely (4,3)
SINE DIE: A three-letter word for a trespass followed by the first letters (originally) of every day and the abbreviation for that is (in other words).
28a Gains power over turbulent streams (7)
MASTERS: An anagram (turbulent) of STREAMS.
Down
1d I hear setter’s hot beverage is strong (6)
MIGHTY: A homophone (I hear) of MY (setter’s) TEA (hot beverage).
2d Party of America supplying dimwit (6)
DOOFUS: A two-letter word for a party followed by the OF from the clue and the two-letter abbreviation for American.
3d Driving out evil energy, replacing nothing distressing (10)
EXERCISING: A ten-letter word for driving out evil with the abbreviation for energy replacing the letter representing nothing.
4d Change key (5)
SHIFT: Double definition.
5d Miracles: a mixture of hope ‘n’ amen! (9)
PHENOMENA: An anagram (a mixture of) of HOME N AMEN.
6d Prisoner of Partheno Athena’s curse (4)
OATH: The answer is hidden (prisoner of) in the third and fourth words of the clue.
7d Friend cradling decapitated Trojan to chest (8)
PECTORAL: A three-letter word for a friend includes (cradling) the six-letter name of a Trojan warrior in the Iliad with the first letter removed (decapitated).
8d Criminally deliver packaged drug, get let off (8)
RELIEVED: An anagram (criminally) of DELIVER includes (packaged) the abbreviation for ecstasy (drug). I don’t think that packaged works well in the past tense as the containment indicator. Drug packaging would work.  For the link word to work, it should be gets otherwise the cryptic reading of the clue is wordplay get definition.
13d Limbs extend over long time (10)
APPENDAGES: A six-letter word meaning extend followed by a four-letter word for a long time.
15d Writer reporting parliamentary assents gets permit (9)
AUTHORISE: A six-letter word for an author followed by a homophone (reporting) of AYES (parliamentary assents).
16d Ugly stripe concealing alien’s knick-knacks! (8)
PRETTIES: An anagram (ugly) of STRIPE includes (concealing) the abbreviation for extra-terrestrial (alien).
17d Some-one working after morning drive (8)
AMBITION: A three-letter word meaning some, the letter representing one and a two-letter word meaning working after the abbreviation for morning. Avoid repeating wordplay indicators. After as a positional indicator was used in 11a. Also, you should not falsely hyphenate a word to split up the separate wordplay elements.
19d Tranquil moon goddess changes sides (6)
SERENE: The six-letter name of the moon goddess with the L changed to an R (changes sides).
20d Departures since ill-omened day… (6)
ASIDES: A two-letter word meaning since followed by a four-letter name of an ill-omened day in March referred to in Julius Caesar.
23d Fancy doctor starts to exfoliate and moisturise (5)
DREAM: The two-letter abbreviation for doctor followed by the initial letters (starts to) of the final three words of the clue. Try to avoid repeating wordplay indicators. Starter was used in 14a.
24d 14‘s pointless facial hair (4)
BARD: A five-letter word for facial hair without the E (pointless).
A really enjoyable solve for us. The special treat was finding all the themed answers.
Thanks Scintilla.
Thank you so much, I really enjoyed cluing it
Marvellous! Thank you Scintilla.
A couple of comments:
2d probably needs, according to the BRB, that it comes from ‘across the pond.’
There are several wordy clues with four of 10 words or more.
Smiles for 9a, 1d, 7d, and 15d.
Thanks for a very enjoyable end to my weekend of cruciverbalism and thanks in advance to Prolixic.
Senf, although the answer to 2d is definitely a US term, for me the mention of America as part of the wordplay acts as a sufficient indicator.
When I woke up, about 20 minutes ago, I immediately thought ‘you 2d, it’s in the clue’! So, I agree and an apology to Scintilla for my comment.
Thanks so much
It took me ages to clue, so I think I need to speed up if I want to produce more than half a dozen per year!
I absolutely loved this, Scintilla, it was a joy to solve with a theme that even I could spot. I think a very low commentometer score is likely.
More like this would be most welcome. Many thanks.
Thank you – having a theme really helped me and I was lucky to get some extra words in there that gave more flavour to theme
Very enjoyable with a good theme – many thanks to Scintilla.
I particularly liked 5a, 27a and 1d.
More like this please.
Thank you
Excellent crossword with a good theme. Methinks promotion beckons
Thank you Scintilla – more like this please – and in advance to Prolixic
Thank you CrypticSue – I’ll need to speed up my cluing as this one took a while, but hopefully now it will get faster
It has been said/paraphrased by many that, “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter.” So, personally, I wouldn’t worry too much about meeting self-imposed deadlines, unless you are under strict orders from an editor! For some time I have been vacillating over submitting my own offering
Should that day ever arrive I hope it will have been worth the wait… 
My formerly namesake returns with an even better puzzle than last time – an upward trajectory that CS has affirmed with her comments. It will be interesting to read Prolixic’s observations.
The theme was quickly apparent and nicely embedded. Accordingly, 14a was an obvious spot, but I enjoyed working through the clever wordplay. I also liked the associated 24d.
The wordplay in 18a and 3d came from some astute observations, and the use of ‘Prisoner’ in 6d was novel (to me, at least).
The ‘dimwit’ and the ‘moon goddess’ were recalled from somewhere in the back of my mind, prompted by the accessible wordplay.
In addition to the thematic 14/24, my favourites were 22a, 26a, 7d and 17d.
Thank you, Scintilla, you are setting a high bar for yourself, but rather like Armand Duplantis I feel there will be further heights to reach!
Thanks Spartacus pleased you enjoyed it – it was fun to clue!
Maybe my next theme should be an athletics one?!
Hello again, Scintilla.
This was a very enjoyable puzzle indeed and a theme that was easy to spot and wasn’t intrusive. I’m not convinced that 10/21a quite works to define the solution and I’d prefer to see “starter of soup” in 14a but I had few other quibbles. To avoid the awkward-looking “some-one” (sic) in 17d, you could have name-checked yourself and used “Scintilla, one…”. Just a thought. My top three clues were 5a, 12a and 27a.
Congratulations on an impressive puzzle, Scintilla. Many thanks.
Thank you – love the idea of using scintilla in a clue!
Welcome back, Scintilla, with a most enjoyable puzzle and an excellent theme. Hadn’t come across the term used to describe knick-knacks previously and it feels rather odd as a noun but nobody else has remarked on it so it must be a ‘just me’ thing. I also found the ‘to’ in 7d a little out of place but overall thought this was a very good compilation.
I’m sure the commentometer will have little to complain about and look forward to trying your next offering.
Thanks Jane, I enjoyed building a grid around this theme
An evening solve for me but we’ll worth the effort. Much to enjoy with 11a 15 and 17d on my podium although I do agree the surface of the latter was a little awkward but it made me chuckle when the penny dropped. More like this please Scintilla.
Thank you – it was fun to clue
Can only endorse what others above have said. I thought this a terrific themed puzzle & a thoroughly enjoyable solve. 5a my pick from a strong selection.
Thanks & well done Scintilla
Thanks Huntsman, really glad you enjoyed it
Thank you Prolixic for your helpful dissection – it amazes me that I went through the crossword with a fine tooth comb and still missed my double use of ‘after’! It’s so good to have such thorough feedback. On to the next grid.
Very well done, Scintilla. I thought this a really good puzzle. It may have taken you ‘ages to clue’, but the time you spent was well worth it. I hope you enjoyed setting it. I certainly enjoyed solving it, and really liked the theme.
I’m sure you will follow Prolixic’s advice and I look forward to seeing you here again in the not too distant future.
With big thanks to Scintilla for a very entertaining Rookie puzzle and to Prolixic for the excellent analysis.
Thank you. It was definitely worth the work and I really enjoyed it
Many thanks for the review, Prolixic. Seems to me that Scintilla made a rather good job of this one, let’s hope she can continue on an upward trajectory.