Cryptic crossword

ACROSS

1. Crazy bird’s call may be timely (6)

4. Temporarily doing another’s duty __ on the stage? (6)

9. Bee product in the East for one to put together (7)

10. Have to abridge part of a hotel I designed (5)

11. An alternative to a linguistic start to the viva voce (4)

12. Don’t succeed in meeting a spinster (4)

13. Frivolous talk provides openers for groups and singles (3)

15. Beginning of third part of play needs skill in handling (4)

16. Its wave may be magic (4)

19. The objective is to supply half a unit length of cloth (3)

21. Eternity is at no time failing to begin (4)

22. Metal shot from a gun can be a pest (4)

24. Separately it shows what resting actor looks for (5)

25. How quietly hot man changes the spirit (7)

26. Give desk an odd shape as does baker in preparation (6)

27. Sorts out the fibres as when immersed in a river (6)

DOWN

1. Chat woke flock unfortunately as the biggest thing around (4,2,3,4)

2. An agreement with it to hold powder (7)

3. Poet who wrote an endless poem about six (4)

5. Pawn: in cross extremes he gets sergeant-major an ending (8)

6. Me a vocalist, one hears, in a sweet coat (5)

7. One may have a stab at answering these playfully (8,5)

8. Excellence one discovered in a difficult term (5)

14. Had a grave addition perhaps if stressed (8)

17. I’d put up old instruments as one adds the water (7)

18. Time for playing me up in breaking the pot (5)

20. ‘ ____ he’s in his hammock’ (Newbolt) (5)

23. Under 6, what is there one can’t have and eat? (4)