The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word PLAYBILL
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
P
L
A
Y
B
I
L
L
More clues leading to the result PLAYBILL
- Place line about rising nation in advertisement for drama
- List of the actors etc to take the role of Sykes?
- Settle account, inserting line in dramatic announcement
- Theatre’s promotion: act Shakespeare in an unusually familiar way?
- Settle account, including pound for theatre poster
- Act Shakespeare informally — it’s seen outside theatre
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "advertisement for drama" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case advertisement for drama = playbill.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 PLAYBILL mean?
PLAYBILL noun- A poster advertising a theatrical performance.
- A program/programme/pamphlet for a theatrical performance.