Across:
1 Changed (= anagram indicator) optics (optics = TOPICS) for those taking part in discussion (TOPICS),
4 Part of the main body (SUBGROUP) of marines working in the water (marines working in the submarine / SUB GROUP),
9 In order to remove Don (‘in order to’ remove ‘Don’ = irerto = RIOTER) from The Mob (RIOTER),
10 Dance (B- -ALL) around noble (peer) initially off (p) (‘peer’ without ‘p’ = -EER) his head (his head = H-) (BEER HALL) in foreign drinking establishment (BEER HALL),
12 Without this, the head is going to be cool going into class (SCHOOL CAP) in place of teacher (SCHOOL) from Cork (cork/lid = CAP) (SCHOOL CAP),
13 Opens 18 across (“book reviewer” = BOOK-) for school (-S) (BOOKS) guides (BOOKS),
14 Notes (MUSICAL SCALE) Annie (Annie = MUSICAL) has a job at the bar (senior counsel = SC-) providing something for the drinkers (-ALE) (MUSICAL SCALE),
18 Tends to be critical (BOOK REVIEWER) of half of those in 24 across (half of “book shop” = BOOK) having a job in the media (REVIEWER) (BOOK REVIEWER),
21 Cause someone trouble (ACT UP) in 11 down starting (“act like a fool” starting = ACT) on boxer (pup) that need’s no introduction (p) (‘pup’ without ‘p’ = UP) (ACT UP),
22 Giving out (share / ALLOTMENT) to Grant (grant = ALLOT-) and guys (-MEN-) getting time (-T) (ALLOTMENT),
24 You’d need them at school (BOOKS-) going on the mitch (mitch/truant = going on the -HOP) (BOOKSHOP) to a novel place? (BOOKSHOP),
25 Rugby player (PROP-) on the foreign (the = -EL) (PROPEL) pitch (PROPEL),
26 On foot (TOE-) with sluggish types (snails) losing the head (s) (‘snails’ without ‘s’ = -NAILS) (TOENAILS) with those that need to be clipped (TOENAILS),
27 Roman court (Roman Catholic court = ROTA-) is very (very) fair (half of) (half of ‘very’ = -RY) (ROTARY) and is for turning (ROTARY).
Down:
1 Flag (TIRE-) is a little (-SOME) (TIRESOME) boring (TIRESOME),
2 Expect one to get this, for example (PROPHESY), from something Jeremiah said (PROPHESY of Jeremiah, the prophet),
3 The belief is (CREDO) there’s no gas to be found in God’s acre (there’s no ‘gas’ to be found in ‘God’s acre’ = odcre = CREDO),
5 Out of the blue (UNEXPECTEDLY), organisation (United Nations = UN-) looked for (-EXPECTED-) central characters involved in analysis (analysis= -LY) (UNEXPECTEDLY),
6 Old foreign leader (GARIBALDI) of cultural organisation (GA-A-) welcomes crafty type (-RIB-) from Longford (-LD-) (GARIBALDI),
7 You’d expect her to have something to say for herself (ORATOR) to one of the speakers (ORATOR),
8 Crash out of scholarship (‘crash’ out of ‘scholarship’ = holsip = POLISH) with shiner in Japan? (‘japan’ = type of varnish/lacquer = POLISH),
11 What one of the gravediggers has to do in Hamlet (gravedigger in Hamlet has to ACT LIKE A FOOL) with clown’s remit (ACT LIKE A FOOL),
15 Spacey (Spacey = C-PY SEA) adaptation (= anagram indicator) about short trip (-HOP-) (CHOPPY SEA) depicts a sea change in The Shipping News perhaps (CHOPPY SEA
16 Small (-WEE-) American accommodation (tepee = -T P-) found in The Marine (S- -EA) (SWEET PEA) by one of the climbers (SWEET PEA),
17 Frankly (BRUTALLY), most of (t) the dry champagne (‘brut’ without ‘t’ = BRU-) given to Count (-TALLY) (BRUTALLY),
19 Local talk (RABBIT) on the gamey menu (RABBIT),
20 Old (O-) Otis (Otis = -TIOS-) Cook (= anagram indicator) from Spain (-E) (OTIOSE) was idle in the past (OTIOSE),
23 Body (TORSO) discovered in doctor’s organisation (discovered in ‘doctor’s organisation’ = TORSO).
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