Editing Manfred (section)

==In performance==
''Manfred'' was not originally intended for stage performance; it was written to be a dramatic poem or, as Byron called it, a "metaphysical" drama. It has received much more attention on stage for its musical treatments by [[Tchaikovsky]] and [[Schumann]] than it has on its own dramatic terms. Nevertheless, ''Manfred'' was later famously played by [[Samuel Phelps]].

There are no recorded full stagings in Britain in the twentieth century, but readings are more popular, partly because of the difficulty of staging a play set in the Alps, partly because of the work's nature as a closet drama that was never actually intended for the stage in the first place. The exceptional size of the role of Manfred also makes the play difficult to cast. There was a production on [[BBC Radio 3]] in 1988, however, which starred [[Ronald Pickup]] as Manfred. A new production, adapted and directed by Pauline Harris with original music composed and performed by [[Olly Fox]] and starring [[Joseph Millson]] as Manfred, was broadcast on [[BBC Radio 3]] on 8 January 2017 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of ''Manfred''{{'}}s completion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b087qh9w|title=Manfred, Drama on 3 - BBC Radio 3|website=BBC|access-date=29 June 2017}}</ref>