6-across – __ Kidman, star of Moulin Rouge : NICOLE

8-across – A book of the Old Testament, or an album by Bob Marley? : EXODUS

9-across – What Jack should do to the road, according to Ray Charles? : HIT

10-across – California town where the sitcom The Big Bang Theory is set : PASADENA

11-across – Year of the Norman invasion? : 1O66

13-across – Large antelope, the national animal of Qatar : ORYX

15-across – __ Ferdinand, footballer : RIO

17-across – One of two 4 to Loch Lomond? : LOW

18-across – Type of ballistic missile developed by the Soviet Union during the cold war : SCUD

21-across – Kai __, actor who plays Pete Buchanan in Hollyoaks : OWEN

23-across – The capital of Paraguay : ASUNCION

24-across – Highway where Paul Simon : NEW

26-across – Indian city where the Japanese suffered heavy losses in 1944 : IMPHAL

27-across – See 22 Down : STREET

1-down – One of two 4 to Loch Lomond? : HIGH

2-down – Highway on which Nat King Cole got his kicks? : ROUTE66

3-down – See 24 : JERSEY

4-down – See 16 : ROADS

5-down – See 24 : TURNPIKE

7-down – Finnish city, close to Helsinki : ESPOO

12-down – American marsupials : OPOSSUMS

14-down – Governing body of rugby union in England : RFU

16-down – Highways that John Denver hoped would take him home, to the place he belonged : COUNTRY

19-down – Father Ted’s surname : CRILLY

20-down – Claire __, star of Homeland : DANES

22-down – Where Martha and the Vandellas foresaw there would be dancing? : INTHE

25-down – Sir Christopher __, designer of St Paul’s Cathedral : WREN

6-across – A digital ingredient of the witches’ brew in Macbeth : TOEOF

7-across – Common name for the childhood condition otitis media : GLUEEAR

9-across – The Oscar-winner who came to dinner? : SIDNEYPOITIER

10-across – Denis __, French enlightenment philosopher and editor of the Encyclopédie : DIDEROT

12-across – See 6 : FROG

14-across – Herb that is often used to season poached salmon : DILL

15-across – Coolant that’s essential to the witches’ brew in Macbeth : BABOONS

17-across – London district, home to Queens Park Rangers : SHEPHERDSBUSH

20-across – US state bordered by New York and New Hampshire : VERMONT

21-across – See 16 Down : SNAKE

1-down – Desert making up much of southern Mongolia : GOBI

2-down – David __, name by which John le Carré is less well known : CORNWELL

3-down – See 15 Across : BLOOD

4-down – See 8 : NEWT

5-down – City at the foot of Table Mountain : CAPETOWN

8-down – Visual ingredient of the witches’ brew in Macbeth : EYEOF

11-down – Body of water surrounding the Isle of Man : IRISHSEA

12-down – Support for poor people considered by Jacob Rees-Mogg to be uplifting : FOODBANK

13-down – Name of character played by Olivia Newton-John in Grease : SANDY

16-down – Slithering ingredient of the witches’ brew in Macbeth : FENNY

18-down – American predator cat : PUMA

19-down – Japanese rice wine : SAKE

7-across – US retail chain founded in 1969 : THEGAP

8-across – On the __ of 3, seminal work by Charles Darwin : ORIGIN

9-across – Another name for bean curd : TOFU

10-across – See 11 : CHRISTIE

11-across – Comedian whose debut Radio 4 show was named for 22 7 : BRIDGET

13-across – 14th century Franciscan friar known for his philosophical razor : OCCAM

16-across – Words spoken by an actor but not found in the text of a play : ADLIB

17-across – State in south-eastern Germany : BAVARIA

19-across – Old __, geyser in Yellowstone National Park, USA : FAITHFUL

21-across – The Russian parliament : DUMA

23-across – Country bordered by the USA and Guatemala : MEXICO

24-across – Site of a congress : VIENNA

1-down – River which joins the Mississippi at Cairo : OHIO

2-down – Lamb of God in Latin : AGNUSDEI

3-down – 1995 science fiction movie starring Natasha Henstridge : SPECIES

4-down – Julianne __, star of Still Alice : MOORE

5-down – Range of conditions caused by infection with HIV : AIDS

6-down – Pacific islands state, capital Tarawa : KIRIBATI

12-down – Australian tennis legend : RODLAVER

14-down – Raymond __, author of the Philip Marlowe novels : CHANDLER

15-down – Anna __, Russian prima ballerina : PAVLOVA

18-down – Zac __, star of the 2017 version of Baywatch : EFRON

20-down – Double, double __ and trouble, from the Song of the Witches in Macbeth : TOIL

22-down – Charity once known as the National Association for Mental Health : MIND

1-across – Term used by Hitchcock for a device which serves only to advance the plot of a film : MACGUFFIN

6-across – German licence fee funded broadcaster : ARD

8-across – Savoury drink made of yoghurt and spices : LASSI

9-across – Romance by Sir Walter Scott, subtitled A Tale of Flodden Field : MARMION

10-across – Jerry’s ex in Seinfeld? : ELAINE

11-across – Remote section of California coastline south of Carmel : BIGSUR

14-across – US printmaker known for her pioneering use of silkscreen : ELIZABETHOLDS

17-across – Unit of currency in Malawi and Zambia : KWACHA

18-across – See 1 Down : FALCON

21-across – Karen’s maid in Will & Grace? : ROSARIO

23-across – Rene __, actor who starred in Get Shorty and The Thomas Crown Affair : RUSSO

24-across – A school of Buddhism : ZEN

25-across – A village in Lincolnshire – or an 1844 novel by Disraeli? : CONINGSBY

1-down – The __, standard example of a 1 Across in the novel by Dashiell Hammett : MALTESE

2-down – Country bordered by Nicaragua and Panama : COSTARICA

3-down – __ Station, the main railway terminus in Washington DC – and Los Angeles : UNION

4-down – US disaster management agency : FEMA

5-down – Norfolk city : NORWICH

6-down – Monica __, author of Brick Lane : ALI

7-down – 1982 comedy written and directed by Barry Levinson : DINER

12-down – Lung disease once known as potter’s rot : SILICOSIS

13-down – Nickname given to Britain’s one-time favourite carp? : BEN

15-down – The official language of Ethiopia : AMHARIC

16-down – Japanese whisky advertised by Bill Murray in Lost in Translation : SUNTORY

17-down – The protagonist of Heart of Darkness? : KURTZ

19-down – City on the Ohio and Erie Canal : AKRON

20-down – The former capital of West Germany : BONN

22-down – See 13 : SON

7-across – 26 29 movie co-starring Jane Russell : GENTLE

8-across – See 7 : PREFER

9-across – See 7 : BLONDES

11-across – George __, the pseudonym of Mary Ann Evans : ELIOT

12-across – 26 29 movie co-starring Tom Ewell : THESEVEN

16-across – See 12 : YEAR

18-across – See 12 : ITCH

21-across – 26 29 movie co-starring Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon : SOMELIKE

25-across – See 21 : ITHOT

26-across – Elton John’s first candle in the wind? : MARILYN

29-across – See 26 : MONROE

30-across – Ancient Egyptian city on the site of modern-day Luxor : THEBES

1-down – The __ of Nations, seminal work by Adam Smith : WEALTH

2-down – The Rolling __, rock band : STONES

3-down – Richard __, leading man in the movie version of Chicago : GERE

4-down – See 13 : APE

5-down – John __, founder of the Methodist church : WESLEY

6-down – Italian city whence came Shakespeare’s two 7 28? : VERONA

10-down – WW2 special operations unit sometimes called the Baker Street Irregulars : SOE

13-down – The Great __, 1950 book by Paul Brickhill : ESC

14-down – The rival format to Betamax? : VHS

15-down – Union once led by Arthur Scargill : NUM

17-down – Music recording company acquired by Citigroup in 2011 : EMI

19-down – Constituency once represented by George Osborne : TATTON

20-down – NATO term for the times at which specific operations commence : HHOURS

22-down – Unit used to measure electrical resistance : OHM

23-down – Dutch university town : LEIDEN

24-down – John Maynard __, economist : KEYNES

27-down – Town in Piedmont – and a sparkling wine : ASTI

28-down – See 7 Across : MEN