The Cambridge American Stage Tour is a unique experience: fun, intense, and exciting, it creates lifelong friendships and countless memorable moments. Having acted in this year’s touring production of Macbeth myself, I was keen to interview the outgoing tour managers, Tally Arundell and Jacob Coughlan. Alongside reminiscing over Macbeth, I wanted to understand what it takes to arrange an international stage tour for 16 people… at twenty years old.

It’s no secret that Cambridge life is extremely busy, so my first question was what first captured their interest about the tour. It’s a lot of work to juggle alongside a Cambridge degee, and Jacob is candid when he tells me they both originally thought that “this will be fun and will look good on ou CVs”. Though both things turned out to be true, it seems that the pair did not realise just how much they would love the entire process, however difficult and stressful it might be, and that the tour would, as Tally put it, become their baby.

“It was their camraderie that helped the tour run smoothly”

Tally and Jacob had an extensive working relationship prior to applying for the tour, despite only having known each other for less than a year. CAST was their sixth show working together, which was potentially why, even with the stresses that come from organising an international tour, they confidently state that they “never had any sort of falling out”. But don’t be put off by thinking that you need a considerable background in producing or managing in order to take on such a role – you are seen as a team with complementary skills. Though Jacob commented on his lack of experience producing, Tally stated that “I never really saw that as a weakness”. It was their camraderie that helped the tour run smoothly, setting a positive tone for the whole cast and crew.

So, you’ve had your interview with the previous tour managers, and you’ve got the job: what’s next? Both Tally and Jacob spoke of the slightly “chaotic” onboarding Zoom call where they were given a large and daunting document outlining all the previous CAST connections in the USA and a plan of what to do next (which includes choosing and casting the entire team of your chosen show). It is clear, however, that the previous year’s tour managers are with you all the way, and Tally and Jacob frequently sing the praises of their predecessors, Daisy Shaw and Alex Velody: “We literally love them!”

“This tour was packed full of unforgettable moments”

It was also interesting to learn how they split the workload when involved in such a huge undertaking. From the beginning, Tally was clear that she was “not doing finances,” meaning that Jacob took on that task alongside organising educational workshops for the schools Macbeth would be performed in. Tally, on the other hand, focused on the organising of venues and host families for the cast and crew across America. For two humanities students, having to deal with finances felt like a big deal, and Jacob confides that seeing “20 grand leave the account I was in charge of and go to an unknown travel officer was terrifying!” Though managing the money was his main pre-tour worry, it all worked itself out as the tour unfolded, and he advises the next tour manager to not stress too much.

Although arranging a trip to the USA in the current political climate brought its own particular concerns, it made the first night of Macbeth, in a small and rather sticky cinema in Salem, all the more emotional. At one point the tour had simply been a “random spreadsheet,” but that night it became a fully-fledged production with posters around Salem. It’s no wonder that they had a hug and cry together, as this tour, alongside the help of company manager Lizzie Caird, would not have happened without them. From arriving in Boston and spending the first evening swimming in the sea, to the incredible natural beauty of the Blue Ridge mountains of Virginia and a mass purchase of cowboy boots in Nashville, this tour was packed full of unforgettable moments. It was the dedication of Tally, Jacob, and Lizzie who made it happen.

So, if you enjoy people management and like the sound of organising a bit of Shakespeare to take on the road, consider applying for a tour manager role yourself. I can say wholeheartedly that Jacob and Tally’s enthusiasm and love for the show and everyone involved were the heart of a tour so full of fun and joy. Tally and Jacob end the chat by advising future tour managers to “take a risk, trust your intuition” and to know that they are “rooting for you the whole way”.