REVIEW: SEVEN MAGNIFICENT EGOS at Ye Olde Rose and Crown 15 – 19 October 2025

“Satire with Stetsons; a rollicking romp for movie geeks” ★★★

 

With laughs thin on the ground, anyone interested in films, Westerns or comedy might want to get themselves down to Walthamstow’s Ye Old Rose and Crown for something of an epic endeavour. Seven Magnificent Egos, The Making of the Magnificent Seven is a behind the scenes look at the pre-production, production, and post-production of one of Hollywood’s most beloved Westerns. It’s satire with Stetsons; a rollicking romp for movie geeks.

In 1960, Yul Brynner, he of the gleaming pate, wished to direct. His pal, Greek actor, Antony Quinn had seen a Japanese movie called The Seven Samurai and between them, they cooked up a Western inspired by Kurosawa’s art house classic. But when the money people came in, Walter Mirisch of the Mirisch Company, Quinn found himself ousted and would go on to sue. This was just the first of many obstacles and conflicts the film faced, not to mention the constant ego-jousting and jostling of the star cast.

There are many laugh out loud moments in this surreal caper: pure absurd silliness such as the many Mexican extras bought in (the film was shot in Mexico) and piles of comedic film references for the buffs in the audience. Also, spotting the contemporary parallels is fun, such as the discussion about individuals being cast because of their existing “followings.”  And the one about who should be paid should the film be screened on TV (“Who wants to watch a film twice?!”) which resonates as creatives work to renegotiate their rights in an age of Artificial Intelligence.

It’s a great vehicle for the cast and there are some strong performances. Toby Watts as the German actor, Horst Buchholtz – constantly mispronounced as Horse Butthole – is hilarious. Paul McLaughlin as Walter Mirish, the Yes Can Do producer, gives Stanley Tucci a run for his money, and Manos Koutsis, the imperious Yul Brynner, is fond of standing around with a thousand-yard stare, hands on hips. Rose Kaur, the only female cast member, multi-roles as a bride, various actresses, secretaries, and a banging Mexican censor.

It’s clearly written and signposted, so even with such a large cast, it’s possible to keep up with who’s who and what’s happening when. This has been a labour of love by writer and director, Lance Steen Antony Neilson, who first wrote the play eight years ago and would watch Westerns as a kid, but the danger of passion projects is that every bit of them can become precious. It could be shorter, more disciplined, and tightly edited; it currently runs at two hours and includes a fifteen-minute interval. This is longer than most pub theatre shows, but while it could be shorter, I’m not sure if it could be any sharper.

SEVEN MAGNIFICENT EGOS The Making of the Magnificent Seven at Ye Olde Rose and Crown, Walthamstow 15 – 19 October 2025

BOX OFFICE https://www.yeolderoseandcrowntheatrepub.co.uk/whats-on/7-magnificent-egos

Produced by Simon Berry & Lance S A Nielsen

Written & Directed by Lance Steen Anthony Nielsen