Lay hose up operating theatre (9)

I believe the answer is:

playhouse

'theatre' is the definition.
(I know that theatre can be written as playhouse)

'lay hose up operating' is the wordplay.
'operating' indicates anagramming the letters.
'lay'+'hose'+'up'='layhoseup'
'layhoseup' anagrammed gives 'PLAYHOUSE'.

(Other definitions for playhouse that I've seen before include "Stage" , "army theatre" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.

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