Crossword Genius

One not using ticket: play cancelled? (2-4)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

no-show

'one not using ticket' is the definition.
(person not using a ticket they have paid for)

'play cancelled?' is the wordplay.
'play' becomes 'no' (no or noh is a type of Japanese theatre).
'cancelled?' becomes 'show' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'no'+'show'='NO-SHOW'

(Other definitions for no-show that I've seen before include "Someone who neither keeps nor cancels an engagement" , "One not turning up" , "Failure to appear" , "One not keeping an appointment - who's on (anag)" , "Person who fails to cancel -- who's on (anag)" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.
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