Miss Saigon Lane on 20 September 1989 and closed after 4,264 performances on 30 October 1999. The director was Nicholas Hytner with musical staging by Bob Avian and scenic design by John Napier. In December 1994 the London production became the Theatre Royal's (Drury Lane) longest running musical, eclipsing the record set by "My Fair Lady". Lea Salonga played the part of Kim, winning the Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award. The Engineer was originated by Jonathan Pryce, who also won the Laurence Olivier Award and Tony Award for the role. The part of Chris was originated by Simon Bowman. The musical
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane London, Bunn championed English opera, rather than the Italian operas that had played earlier at the theatre. These included "Fair Rosamond" and "Farinelli" by John Barnett; a series of twelve operas by Michael Balfe including "The Maid of Artois" and "The Bohemian Girl"; "Maritana" and others by William Vincent Wallace and several by Julius Benedict. In 1837, actor-manager Samuel Phelps (1804–1878) joined the company at Drury Lane, appearing with William Charles Macready, the gifted actor-manager in several Shakespeare plays. He also created the role of Captain Channel in Douglas Jerrold's melodrama, "The Prisoner of War" (1842), and of Lord Tresham