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Wow! What an extraordinary construction. How is it done ?

Beats me kobnut. All I can say is that to squeeze seven protagonists and three thematic entries into three separate grids must have taken a mammoth effort! Only slightly disappointment was getting the theme quite early so no real PDM, but have to marvel at the construction.

Do the two tourists that appear in column one entered in their normal order or cyclically ?
Do the two tourists that appear in column one have the same lengths as the clues already there ie one of 8 characters and one of 6 characters ?

Thanks

Hi krauton, they are normal entries, both of 7 letters.

Can anyone provide a nudge on the 2nd part of the interim grid please. I’ve done Step 1 and have the two names in Col 1, but can’t see what needs to be done when cycling Cols 2-12 to make the perimeter thematic!

Thanks

Hi glasgow (my home city), the 6 you've identified (with 1 appearing in the final grid) have uniquely ...

if you have done step 1 correctly there should be an event in column 12. In order to make the perimeter thematic you must cycle columns 2-11 to make two similar events appear in the top and bottom row.

Marvellous, got it, thanks! I had somehow misspelt the name of one of the seven in my head, so my Col 12 was wrong.

A stunning finish. Some very clever use of QXW involved in setting this one.

Couple of minor final questions:

- Have people assumed initial and surname for one of the compatriots? Seems symmetrically better if so
- Is there any significance to the 6 red squares (beyond marking the outlines?). The letters don't appear to show anything and it seems

Hi glasgow, think you need the initial to distinguish the compatriot from his sibling, I'm not sure about significance of red squares either except, as you say, to demarcate the outline.

Can someone give me a hand to get into this?
Like others I saw the theme pretty quickly, but I am finding the initial grid fill hard with only about 10 solved so far.
So tips towards these would be great, it looks like a fun puzzle.
1a Fly from Australia by way of Thailand, ending in Greece (6)
1d Infidels attending robberies (8)
29d With no hint of nerves, Sean Penn catches a thresher shark (6, two words) Is It Sea ???