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Given that "their" can be used as an alternative to "his or her" it might not have any significance other than to conceal the gender of the character

Hi rrrobbo, I thought that the use of “their” was simply a non-gender specific pronoun to avoid giving away the character’s gender. Going by Oliver Kamm’s weekly column in The Times[\i] on Saturdays, this is becoming increasingly common in the newspaper.

It’s certainly appropriate in the seventh clue “E Will’s to take in superior and their spy smuggling uranium (7)”, where the superior has been both male and female in different movies.

SOS! Originally the stage rotates with Henry..... What's going on here?

Found it. Phew!

Yes, I agree on the 'their front'. I was actually alluding to posts 29 and 30 by aspria and antmark where they seem to think the 'their' is important. If the preamble were to be more precise, surely it would be the same precision for either the right or the wrong object (or is it subject?) of their? Unless one of them really is of no proven gender!

I must have missed something...............

I am still trying to fill the grid, and would be very grateful if anyone could help with:
Number put in Solway Firth principally are active when all ebbs.
Originally the stage rotates with Henry ignoring college dance record notes. (I wondered if it was B**r*s?)
Associate pro dropping ball after leg before.
And in spite of hints before now, I still can't get the wretched
UCLA freshers!
Thanks very much.

Samovar - when all ebbs means everything is reversed... number is ten, Solway Firth principally (first letters) are (a) active (a). "Originally" means obsolete word for stage dropping c (college) with h (henry). Associate is definition (noun) - pro as in for - dropping ball (o), after leg (cricket term) and finally old term for before. UCLA freshers at party is definition... take drugs is "use", sex is s and he for helium inserted. Hope this helps!

Thank you so much, Smartie, especially for the "when all ebbs" help, I stupidly hadn't thought of that. Will have another try.

Happy to help Samovar. Let me know if you need anything more specific. I know how frustrating it can be to get so far and then....

I wonder if Xanthippe uses "their" because the character shown in the grid is only one of his many aliases? I enjoyed this puzzle, especially when it became clear that I did not need an in-depth knowledge of the bard.