The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word MATINEE
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
M
A
T
I
N
E
E
More clues leading to the result MATINEE
- Show point in West, perhaps
- Show a bit of a fork poking me
- Money put into West End’s opening show
- Show inmate reforming, getting parole at last
- Show a prong piercing me
- Show couple consuming popular drug
- China cups in eastern show
- Perhaps West End’s premier gains money for performance
- Cast meet in a theatre production
- Showtime at cinema is a point grasped by the writer
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Early performance" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case early performance = matinee.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does MATINEE mean?
MATINEE noun- A showing of a movie, sporting event, or theatrical performance in the morning or afternoon.
- A woman's dress to be worn in the morning or before dinner.
- To put on a matinee performance (of).