Clerical Work by Awinger

Puzzle explanation

The extra words in clues were “minister meadow” for Priestley [PRIEST + LEY], and “awful hollow rueful past can close in” for An Inspector Calls [(R(uefu)L + PAST CAN CLOSE IN) *], also giving a rough summary of the play. The extra letters in wordplay spelt out “sacked, envied, dumped, no aid, lech, suicidal”, referring to the behaviour of the respective characters Arthur, Sheila, Gerald, Sibyl, Eric, Eva/Daisy. A jumble of each of those names in the grid was replaced by their behaviour summary, producing new words including the highlighted GHOUL, a homophone of Inspector Goole.

Clue explanations

Conventions: * = anagram, < = reversal

No Extra word Answer Explanation [extra letter]
Across
1 Minister TRISHAW (W + ART) < around HIS *
6   APPEAR [S]AP + PEAR
10   HART HAS + R[A]T − S
11   RENOUNCE (RE[C] around N) + OUNCE
12   ARBORET AR[K] + BORE + T(rees)
14   AT IT IT after [E]AT
15   AYE [D]AY + E
16 meadow DAS SAD <
17 awful SERPENTS (R + PEN) in SETS
19   E-NOSE ONE < + SE[E]
21   RANCOURS RAN + CO[N]S around UR
23   ARENAL LA[V]A * around REN
25   ASPECT A[I]T around CEPS <
26   GRASSING G[E](t) + ASS in RING
28   GHYLL (L + L) after ([D]INGHY − IN)
29 hollow LIGHT AIR LIGHT + AIR
30 rueful HOB HO + B
32   HIP H + [D]IP
36   PIRS RIP < + [U]S
37   BEARDIE BEAR + DI[M]E
38   WISENESS WITNESS with SE[P] for T
39   RICE C in [E]RIE
40   SUEDES (USE[D] ED’S) *
41 past ROSACES RACES around OS
Down
1 can THAR T(in) + HAR(d)
2   RARE EARTH (RATHER [N]EAR) *
3   STOL LO[O]TS <
4   HURDEN (H[A]RD + EN) around U
5   AREA AR[I]A around E
6   ANTE [D]ANTE
7   PUT-INS PUTIN’S
8 close ENID DINE <
9   RED SETTER RED + SETTER
13   BARREL BAR + R + EL[L]
14   AVERS (l)[E]AVERS
17   SPANGHEWS PANG in (e)S[C]HEWS
18   TORSI (O + S[H]IRT) *
20   SACRIFICE SAC(k) + IF in RICE
22 in REGARD RE + GUARD − U
24   ARLES RA < + LES[S]
26   GLARED G[U]LA + RED
27   IHRAMS I + RAM in H[I]S
31   BISE SIB < + [C]E
32   HIES HIPP[I]ES − PP
33   PESO ([D]EPOSIT − IT) *
34   ORRA (O[A]R + A) around R
35   PEES S[L]EEP <
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