Solving time 14:42. Quite a mixed bag here, with literature and mythology well represented, but also a bit of sport, politics and science. A couple of relatively obscure words (I'm thinking DITHYRAMB and RATAFIA, which were mentioned in Forum comments), but I knew them - both coincidentally clued with fully-reversed wordplay. Also (as mentioned below) a brilliant prophecy in 12ac, as Tottenham Hotspur got thrashed 3-0 by Borussia Dortmund in the following week. I hope the setter's a betting man!
| Across |
| 1 | Virile man travelled initially in French south (4) |
| STUD - T(ravelled) inside SUD (French for south). |
| 4 | Unauthenticated first letter with copy Ralph produced (10) |
| APOCRYPHAL - A (first letter) + (copy Ralph)*. |
| 9 | Bluff by Tory PM reveals tortured character (10) |
| HEATHCLIFF - CLIFF (bluff) next to HEATH (Tory PM). Main character and anti-hero in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. |
| 10 | Some Guinness female companions keep (4) |
| ALEC - hidden in "female companions". Sir Alec Guinness, the actor. |
| 11 | Weapons manufacturer busy at last in shady nook (6) |
| BOWYER - (bus)Y inside BOWER (shady nook). |
| 12 | Spurs nightmare in fragile defence? (8) |
| EGGSHELL - EGGS (spurs) + HELL (nightmare). Prophetic surface considering what happened on Thursday night! |
| 1 | Bloodsucker following inconclusive guide (4) |
| FLEA - F(ollowing) + LEA(d) ("inconclusive" guide). |
| 15 | Notice key Herts town band used to make impression (6,4) |
| SIGNET RING - SIGN (notice) + E (key) + TRING (Herts town). |
| 17 | Limber law-breaker out to steal the kitty? (3,7) |
| CAT BURGLAR - cryptic definition. I remember when I was about 4 I thought that was exactly what they did! |
| 20 | Little man pockets million — a fortune! (4) |
| BOMB - BOB (little man) around M(illion). As in the phrase "That must have cost a bomb!" |
| 21 | Retired news provider probes map book for fabulous place (8) |
| ATLANTIS - ITN (news provider) reversed, inside ATLAS (map book). |
| 23 | A new resident in shelter he or she rents (6) |
| TENANT - A + N(ew) inside TENT (shelter). |
| 24 | Opening time brings old politician (4) |
| PITT - PIT (opening) + T(ime). |
| 25 | Display in marshy land upset Hugo? It's understandable (4,6) |
| FAIR ENOUGH - AIR (display) inside FEN (marshy land), + (Hugo)*. |
| 26 | Brave daughter, in favour of being hugged, came closer (10) |
| APPROACHED - APACHE (brave) + D(aughter), around PRO (in favour of). |
| 27 | Duke to vex Duncan's killer? (4) |
| DIRK - D(uke) + IRK (vex). The weapon Macbeth would have used to stab King Duncan in the Shakespeare play. |
| Down |
| 2 | Another belt's given out for this? (3,5,3) |
| THE NOBLE ART - (another belt)*, semi-&lit. |
| 3 | Black girl, concealed, keeps time for uplifting, passionate hymn (9) |
| DITHYRAMB - B(lack) + MARY (girl) + HID (concealed) around T(ime), all reversed. In ancient Greece, a wild impassioned choral hymn sung in honour of Bacchus (according to Chambers). |
| 4 | Bill to go with trousers is in agreement (7) |
| ACCORDS - AC (bill) + CORDS (trousers). |
| 5 | Versatile writer— girls loved him to dance (6,9) |
| OLIVER GOLDSMITH - (girls loved him to)*. As a novelist, poet and playwright I suppose he was pretty versatile. |
| 6 | Exile concerned with stale atmosphere vacated enclosure (7) |
| REFUGEE - RE (concerned with) + FUG (stale atmosphere) + E(nclosur)E. |
| 7 | Keep around 50 to share (5) |
| HALVE - HAVE (keep) around L (50). |
| 8 | Laughing out loud about chap regularly seen in pub (5) |
| LOCAL - LOL (txtish abbreviation) around C(h)A(p). |
| 13 | Chain gang's boss? (4,7) |
| LINE MANAGER - cryptic definition. |
| 16 | Bird, top in falconry, despoiler in forest (5,4) |
| ROBIN HOOD - ROBIN (bird) + HOOD (top in falconry). Strange choice of definition, a bit too mean-sounding for the legendary "noble outlaw". |
| 18 | Liqueur available at first if a sailor's capsized (7) |
| RATAFIA - A(vailable) + IF + A + TAR (sailor), all reversed. |
| 19 | Political extremist claiming to be in Paris or Tyre? (7) |
| RETREAD - RAD (political extremist) around ETRE (French for "to be"). |
| 21 | Brightest star / most dominant (5) |
| ALPHA - double definition. |
| 22 | Happy after tenancy comes to stop (3,2) |
| LET UP - UP (happy) after LET (tenancy). |