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thank you JeffC, even more confused now.

I'm puzzled too, JeffC. How can the common letter between 11a and 5d *not* be 'o'?

Was directed to Guardian.co.uk crosswords by lady with dog at beach. Loved this first attempt and completed it with help from Google :)
NOW I find this very helpful forum.
I also am ignorant of G&S and also went with largo.
Will I be tempted to peek next time?

11ac is surely minister of state (an anagram) so the crossing letter on large/o is an o

What is 11 ac then that ends with an e?

Can anyone explain 14d? I'm assuming it's NOSHED eating something, but don't get it.

Some obscure references for Araucaria in this one.

Noshed

Eating original first (ur means original I for first)

hence no(URI)shed

I agree with several other posters who have pointed out a problem with 5d. It seems to me naughty on the compiler's part to have 'LARGO' since, whilst the definition is OK (largo = broadly in musical notation), the indications surely point to 'LARGE' ('Little & Large').Many would-be solvers must have given up on this.

Sorry, Araucaria, I take it back! I see now how 'inadequate' in the clue ties in. Largo is, of course, 'inadequate' for Large.

Oh dear me, my apologies, I had miskeyed the solution to 11A. 5D is Largo.

Egg all over my face.
But not for the first time, or last, I'm sure.

Looking forward to the next one.

Thanks dja, ur was just an ancient city to me.

Anyone know what to play broadly means? The only reference I can find to its musical usage is in definitions of largo - I would never had made the association.