Soldier On … by Demoniacal

Puzzle explanation

P was the only letter not used as an extra in any clue’s wordplay. Starting from 33ac, the extra letters spelt out “nothing but [p]eas”, describing the experimental diet prescribed by the Doctor for the title character in Georg Büchner’s play Woyzeck. The circled letters in the grid formed BÜCHNER and the extra letters from the asterisked clues formed WOYZECK. Most of the letters in the filled grid (shown here) were erased to leave “nothing but Ps” in the shape of a large W for Woyzeck. The puzzle’s title referred to the soldier Woyzeck being on a diet of peas.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 ÉCLAT C[V] in TALE <
5 STAMPS STAF[F]S with MP for F
10 AEROPLANE AE + PER[S]ONAL *
12 PARAPETS PE[R]T in PARAS
14 YEP PA[C]EY < − A
15 APT [Z]AP + T
16 HAMMER (MME + R) after HA[F](t)
17 AIRER I in AR[K] + RE <
18 OPE OP + E[X]
20 HYPNOPOMPIC H(app)Y + P[L] + NO POMP + I/C
23 SAP S[C]ALP − L
26 POP-UP POP + [J]UMP − (momentu)M
28 IRATER [M]ATER after IR
29 MAY MA[Q](uis) + Y
30 IRS [W]IRES − E
31 PASEARED PAS + [R]EARED
32 KLEENEXES KEENL[Y] * + EXES
33 ALEXIN ALE + X + IN[N]
34 OARED (A RODE[O]) *
Down
1 MRS MOPP (PROMP[T] + SM) *
2 MUPPET (T[H]E + PUMP with letters cycled) <
3 EORL OR[I]EL *
4 EARDED [N]EARED around D
5 HERSE E[G] after HERS
6 AMETROPIA (PRIMATE + [B]OA) *
7 UPPED (PUP D[U]E) *
8 EMPATHY HAT * in EMP[T]Y
9 HIKE H[E] + IKE
11 MESE ME + SE[A]
13 ALBEMARLE (MARBLE [S]EAL) *
17 ECDYSON [D]EC + DYSON
19 APPOSER AP + POSE[D] + R
21 CHAPPY CH + [H]APPY
22 HOOP-LA [M]OP in HOLA
24 LAST (T + SA[I]L) <
25 MADAM MAM around DA[U]
27 STERN TEN[O]RS *
28 REPS (S + PE[E]R) <
29 LAPP [A]PPAL <
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