The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 5 plus 3 letter word STAGE SET
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
S
T
A
G
E
S
E
T
More clues leading to the result STAGE SET
- Level prepared for dramatic backdrop
- Scenery for play is way to add time and place
- Leg fixed, so all ready to proceed with the show?
- Gates’s background
- Level and prepare surroundings for play area
- Scenery that should not change over centuries
- Get seats organised — a must for the play
- Representation of Gates...
- Period film’s enthralling southern scenery
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "all ready to proceed with the show?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case all ready to proceed with the show? = stage set.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.