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thanks, jono - I had the wrong answer ... and I do know the actor slightly!

Not for the first time I hang my head in despair that so many found this easy! I had never heard of 1a, 5d, 27a or 28a, they were only gettable from clues here, Google, or guesswork given the crossers, so I would call it a DNF, but once backward-engineered I had no issues with wordplay. Not sure why people didn't like 20d, it was comparatively easy!

I thought 7d, 15d and 13d almost added up to a theme.

Showing my age, but 11a brought to mind a TV staple of my youth that was memorably parodied by Monty Python, in a sketch which would be even more pertinent today.

Thanks Brummie and all contributors today, happy weekend all.

I'm a big fan Justsolve but I'm not sure I remember that one. I may have to go to You Tube and look that one up.

Couple of (perhaps nitpicking) issues with 20:

a) Surface is clunky, in contrast to many smooth surfaces in the grid.
b) The next-to-last letter of the solution feels a little off and isn't essential to the wordplay (though I'd also find the alternative 5-letter solution inelegant).

Not major things and I'm laissez-faire on such matters, but the clue came off as a bit weaker than the overall puzzle.

Thanks, geeker, for articulating my issues with 20.

Well what a surprise
I finished in record time for me and found it comparatively easy. My FOI was 14ac (an obvious anagram). I can't understand why it took some of you so long. In fact there are lots of anagrams in this crossword. Of course it helps that I'm familiar with 28ac from the Shakespeare and I know 1ac. I did have to look up seahorses in 3d to get the answer.

There are five I couldn't completely parse or am not 100% sure of.
5ac I don't like refuse for the definition.
12ac was my LOI as I was stuck on all the Atkinsons I could think of and the right one didn't come to mind straight away, though I know the horse.
18ac I had trouble parsing, so thanks to the explanation in the stream above.
8d I couldn't see where two of the letters came from
6/21 I've got an answer from the crossers, but don't know why it is right.

Normally I'd share my concerns with my friend in Sheffield, but she is having major surgery today, so won't be doing to crossword or available tomorrow for a discussion.

My CODs were 19d. The Paulian answer brought a smile to my lips. I also liked 23d, 9ac and 25ac

Finally, can anyone explain why the answer to 18d (A) lot in today's quick crossword is "sight". I can't see it or find a definition in Chambers.

Hi Roof,

hope your cold is better, it seemed to be hanging around for a long time.

18a - 2 letter "once" (as in 'used to be but isn't now" + A + 2 letter "state prosecutor" + 1 letter "earl's start" + 6 letter "to mete out" - definition is "annoyance"

Hi Roof, re the quick 18d, think of sight as in a “darn sight” so “a lot”. At least that’s what I think it means. More cryptic and quick I think.

i wasn't all that happy with 8d, but i took "one" as "an". i had tried to make an anagram of be and gender

In fact Chambers does have it at the final definition of “sight”…

17. A great many or a great deal (informal)