The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word DOCUDRAMA
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
D
O
C
U
D
R
A
M
A
More clues leading to the result DOCUDRAMA
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Play for real?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case play for real? = docudrama.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 DOCUDRAMA mean?
DOCUDRAMA noun- A type of drama (a film, a television show, or a play) that combines elements of documentary and drama, to some extent showing real events and to some extent using actors performing recreations of documented events.