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In spite of the hints here I'm still no nearer my last three: 16, 17, and 25.

5d's most dynamic role was Davies in The Caretaker which I saw at the Duchess Theatre in 1960 - with Alan Bates and the extraordinary Peter Woodthorpe. It was directed by Donald McWhinnie, who got a lot of West End work at the time but was famed for saying virtually nothing in rehearsal. Then it was filmed by Clive Donner, who was true to the claustrophobia, taking the action outside the house only once - but replaced Woodthorpe with Robert Shaw.

16d - def last two words, the previous three words create one letter. Otherwise, frequent crossword term for warning, with "one" *doctor" taking in (accepting) the letter.

25 - anagram of agent (without a word for chap) and Blofeld - one of 5d's roles

Thanks prospero. 25 gave the final push to get 16, and that gave 17, although I can make no sense of the clue there apart from "instrument".

letter for "nothing" followed by 2 words meaning "to get by" enclosing ("describing)" letter for "beginner on stringed" ...

Finally got through all the parsing (I think?).

9 struck me as odd. Not too difficult to deduce but there is no actual definition. That is to say I couldn’t find any dictionary definition for the use of the solution in this way, and the clue doesn’t contain any reference to the dictionary definitions there are.

Am I right? Don’t think I’ve come across this before other than when the absence of definitions has been highlighted in the rubric.

Any help with 11ac would be appreciated! I've got all the crossers, I think, if my first S is correct.

word I'd never heard of but will certainly start using ... anag of first 3 words

Thanks again prospero. (I hope it is not ungracious to ask if you got that forwards from the clue or backwards from the answer!)