After graduating in 1968, he moved to Crewe to begin in repertory theatre. He also appeared in various other repertory productions around the country, including Hull, Leeds, London, and Colchester. While at Crewe, Beckinsale played such roles as the Scarecrow in "The Wizard of Oz", Sir Andrew Aguecheek in "Twelfth Night", and the title role in Shakespeare's "Hamlet". Following his stint in 1969 playing Hamlet, Beckinsale took a brief hiatus from acting and worked at a bottle factory, before returning to acting soon after.