### Clue: Director has staff dressed in purple – king or queen coming (8)
### Answer: PRODUCER 
 ### Explanation: Definition: Director
  ROD(staff,baton) **contained in**(dressed in) PUCE(a shade of purple) **plus**(coming) R(abbrev. for king or queen, from Latin $$R$$ex or $$R$$egina respectively)
Defn:  In former usage, in British theatre, a producer was a stage director.  In today's age of specialisation, the director is the operations guy, and the producer is the finance and administration guy.