Dabbling vs Training
Why serious applicants need depth (and what “depth” actually looks like)
Let’s get blunt: most drama school applicants aren’t losing because they picked the “wrong” monologue.
They’re losing because their preparation is thin.
A few workshops here. A bit of TikTok advice there. A mate’s opinion. A teacher’s note. A burst of motivation. A panic-rehearsal the night before.
That’s not training. That’s dabbling with anxiety on top.
And dabbling creates the worst audition experience of all: you sometimes do good work, but you can’t repeat it reliably under pressure. So every audition feels like a gamble on whether “the good version of you” turns up.
This blog is about the difference between:
Dabbling (random inputs, random results), and
Training (a system that makes you more repeatable, more resilient, and harder to shake).
And yes — it’s also about why, for many serious applicants, a two-year training route is the smartest move you can make.
The hidden truth about auditions: they’re a pressure test
Here’s the thing most people don’t clock until it’s too late:
Auditions aren’t just testing whether you can act. They’re testing whether you can act while being watched and judged.
That’s the job. Actors get watched, judged, redirected, compared, rejected, and re-hired. The “mental game” isn’t a bonus skill — it’s part of the profession.
This is exactly why the Inner Game model matters. Under pressure, your stress-maker voice (the one predicting doom, judging you, narrating danger) gets louder. Interference rises. Your ability gets crowded out.
So the goal isn’t to become fearless. The goal is to become trained enough that you can perform well even when the stress voice is running its mouth.
That’s what depth gives you.
Dabbling: what it looks like (and why it fails)
Dabbling usually looks like this:
You try to find “the perfect monologue” instead of learning how to work a monologue.
You collect tips instead of developing a process.
You rehearse in a way that makes you feel busy, not in a way that makes you better.
You avoid discomfort, which means you avoid growth.
You do lots of “runs” but almost no deliberate skill-building.
You don’t get enough high-quality feedback to change real habits.
Dabbling creates temporary confidence. Training creates earned confidence.
And under pressure, the thing you fall back on isn’t your motivation.
It’s your habits.
If your habits are random, you’ll be random.
Training: what it actually is (no fluff)
Training is not “doing acting stuff”.
Training is a system with:
Repetition
Feedback
Adjustment
Pressure reps
Recovery
That’s it.
You repeat the skill.
You get honest feedback.
You adjust.
You repeat under pressure.
You train recovery when it goes wrong.
That’s why good training produces actors who look calm. They’re not calm because they’re special. They’re calm because they’ve done the work so many times it’s familiar.
The biggest lie applicants tell themselves
Here it is:
“I’ll train properly once I get in.”
No you won’t.
You’ll get in by demonstrating that you’re already someone who trains properly — or at least someone who’s ready for that level of work.
And if you do get in without the foundations, you’ll spend the first year just trying to survive while everyone else is developing.
If you want to be competitive, your training has to be deeper than “getting ready for an audition”. It has to be about becoming a serious actor.
What “depth” looks like in real life
Depth isn’t a vibe. It’s measurable.
Here’s what depth looks like:
1) You train the instrument (not just the monologue)
voice that’s supported, flexible, and clear
body that’s grounded, responsive, and expressive
breath that doesn’t collapse under pressure
If your voice tightens when you’re nervous and you haven’t trained it, your auditions will always be inconsistent.
2) You train text work properly
Not “I memorised it.”
Real text work:
what’s the relationship?
what’s the objective?
what are the tactics?
where do the thoughts change?
what’s the subtext on each thought?
That’s how you stop sounding like a reciter and start sounding like a thinking human.
3) You train screen technique
A lot of applicants are stage-trained (or worse, untrained) and then wonder why camera work feels awkward.
On camera:
smaller choices read bigger
truth beats “energy”
listening becomes the main event
self-consciousness shows instantly
If you don’t train screen, you’ll keep guessing.
4) You train pressure and recovery
This is the difference between a hobbyist and a professional.
Training includes:
how to start clean (first 10 seconds)
how to reset when you spiral
how to recover if you blank
how to take direction without defensiveness
You don’t learn that by accident. You learn it by repetition.
5) You train consistency (repeatability)
The whole point is being able to deliver the work:
tired
watched
judged
redirected
after a bad warm-up
after a bad day
That’s what a two-year training environment is built to develop.
The PLE idea: why “just focus on performance” backfires
A lot of applicants focus on performance only:
“I need to be perfect.”
“I need to impress.”
“I need to prove I’m good enough.”
That mindset creates pressure — and pressure creates interference.
A better frame (from Inner Game thinking) is balancing:
Performance
Learning
Enjoyment
Not because acting is a hobby. Because enjoyment reduces tension and keeps the work alive.
If you remove enjoyment entirely, you usually get stiff acting. If you include it, you get play. And play is what makes acting watchable.
Growth mindset vs fixed mindset in auditions
Fixed mindset turns an audition into a verdict:
“If I don’t get in, I’m not good.”
“If I mess up, I’m done.”
“This proves I’m not cut out for it.”
Growth mindset treats auditions as reps:
“This is training information.”
“I can develop this.”
“My job is to improve the process.”
Here’s the catch: you can’t “think” your way into growth mindset. You earn it by training in a way that produces improvement.
Nothing creates belief like evidence.
Depth gives you evidence.
So who actually needs a two-year route?
Not everyone.
But if you recognise yourself in any of these, you probably do:
you’re serious about acting as a career (not just “see how it goes”)
you keep getting rejected and you can’t work out why
you get nervous and your work collapses
you’re inconsistent (good at home, shaky in the room)
your choices are general, emotion-led, or speechy
you haven’t trained screen properly
you don’t have a repeatable process
you want proper time to develop, not rush
If that’s you, a two-year programme gives you what dabbling can’t:
structured progression
time for foundations
time for craft
time for repetition
time for pressure reps
time for confidence that is earned
Why we push the 2-Year HND route for serious applicants
If you’re in Scotland and you want a serious alternative route to conservatoire-style training, the two-year option exists for a reason: depth requires time.
A two-year training programme should help you:
build the instrument properly
build technique that is repeatable
build resilience under scrutiny
build stage craft and screen craft side-by-side
build the professional habits that make you employable
And here’s the bit most applicants don’t think about:
You’re not just training to get into a school.
You’re training to survive and thrive after training.
The industry doesn’t care how passionate you are. It cares whether you can deliver.
Depth is how you get there.
Practical “depth” checklist (use this to stop guessing)
If you want a simple test of whether your prep is dabbling or training, answer these honestly:
Do I have a repeatable warm-up routine I can do anywhere?
Can I explain my monologue objective in one sentence?
Do I know the actions/tactics in each thought chunk?
Is my subtext specific on each thought (not vague emotions)?
Can I start clean (first 10 seconds) every time?
Can I recover quickly if something wobbles?
Have I trained camera technique properly (not guessed)?
Do I have consistent feedback from experienced coaches?
Am I doing pressure reps (filmed, watched, interrupted)?
Can I repeat my work on a bad day?
If you’re mostly “no”, you don’t need more auditions. You need more depth.
Call to action: 2-Year HND (Stage + Screen)
If you’re serious about becoming an actor and you want a training route that builds real foundations, consistency, and professional habits, look at the 2-Year Intensive Stage and Screen Acting Course (incorporating HND) at Acting Coach Scotland.
It’s designed for people who don’t want to gamble their future on dabbling — they want a proper training process and time to develop.
And if you’ve got an audition coming up soon and need last-minute prep and polish, coaching can help quickly — but if what you actually need is depth, choose a route that gives you time to build it.