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Rocky7 - all the clues you mention have a thematic element.
16 parses as 3,3, the first half being thematic. Def is last word, solution being an example.
17 parses as 1,1,4.
20 parses as 3,3, the second half being thematic. Def is last 4 words.

Hi again, chrise: yes, I’m afraid that’s not the theme. As you suspected it’s quite a bit broader than that, though it does include a chemical element (haha).

Thanks rog.

I only have 20 and 17 to get now though I have still no idea of the theme so can't understand 16 other than the last three letters.

I'm thinking my 23a could be wrong but it parses beautifully so I don't think it is. I need to get the theme then I think all will, become clear.

Well all in all a catalogue of errors on my part.

I had the wrong answers for both 21 and 25a. 21 is unforgiveable because the answer I had meaning a specific name in a well known play is not even spelt like that. But it does parse rather well if you can think what that is.

Anyway once those were sorted it all fell into place. Thanks for all hints on here and thanks to Brendan for a cracking prize. Though I'm still not convinced about the theme.

COD the Nice 19d.

This took me a long time to get through, especially the LOI of 24a (which took up a third of my solving time). While the theme helped in several areas, the grid was unhelpful, there was some very tricky wordplay and some obscure definitions to identify. Seemed to end up with loads of vowels as crossers.

Frustrating, but largely the fault of the solver.

Hi again rocky. Am I write in thinking that your misspelt 21 might be clued as ‘leading character has egg on singular theatrical part’? 😉

(Although if it’s the character I’m thinking of it’s a title character who never actually appears…)

Spot on Rog.

Despite the help here, I am stuck on 9a. I have -s-o-s. Is that right?

Ianwil, yes your letters are correct. See my earlier hint.

Rocky, Rog, I had exactly the same thought about the character in that play and had to check how his name is spelled.