The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 2 plus 7 letter word DEUS EX MACHINA
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
D
E
U
S
E
X
M
A
C
H
I
N
A
More clues leading to the result DEUS EX MACHINA
- A Hindu came somehow to welcome the other god brought into play
- French pair with James Brown classic, shaking rear-ends: a theatrical device
- Theatrical device showing intercourse at high speed in Auden’s letters
- Friend, after exam, used to go bonkers — a theatrical ploy
- Examined such a hackneyed plot device
- Engineer examined such a dramatic device
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "dramatic device" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case dramatic device = deus ex machina.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.