How do I solve 13 across in Times Cryptic 3297?

Question

Accepted Answer

13 across reads "Embarrassing public spectacle witnessed in an auditorium" (5 letters); the answer is SCENE. It's a homophone clue: the answer sounds like another word. Indicators like 'reportedly', 'we hear', or 'sounds like' point to a word that's pronounced similarly to the answer. The full step-by-step breakdown is on this page.

Embarrassing public spectacle witnessed in an auditorium (5)

13A — Embarrassing public spectacle witnessed in an auditorium (5) — SCENE