The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word ACTRESS
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
A
C
T
R
E
S
S
More clues leading to the result ACTRESS
- One playing with current switch
- She performs on front of stage, among characters from cast
- Theatre worker about to turn lock
- Recasts failing performer
- Recasts troublesome performer
- Recasts poor player
- Wrongly recasts one in role of Desdemona, say
- Woman who assumes key goes in a lock
- Current Hair cast member
- Player added a bit of cream to hair
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "One appears on stage" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case one appears on stage = actress.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 ACTRESS mean?
ACTRESS noun- A female who performs on the stage or in films.
- A female doer or "actor" (in a general sense).