"Shakespeare in taxi" - project by Navin Rawanchaikul for the exhibition "as it is" at Ikon Gallery, 26 July to 10 september 2000.
History seems to loose trace of Shakespeare in the period known as the lost years. Through Navin's - a young thai artist and Toshiko's his japanese wife - second honeymoon in Birmingham we are told an account of what happened to Shakespeare during these socalled "lost years".
In Birmingham Navin and Toshiko accidentely get involved in a dama of evil Ben that by means of withcraft tries to break up the marriage of Pat and Mary. He almost succeeds since the witch makes him Mary's husband instead of Pat. Shakepeare (although Navin does not realise it is Shakespeare but believes he is a mad man who thinks he is William Shakespeare) also accidently gets involved in the the whole affaire due to the witchcraft. And it is up to him, Navin and Toshiko to undo the damage Ben has caused. Navin makes a set up where Pat has to play dead in order for Mary to realise how much she loves him. Shakespeare believes the set up to be real and is shocked and inspired. Sitting in a taxi he starts to write something. It turns out Mary's feeling for Pat are so strong that she is about to kill herself with a dagger when the set up is exposed. Mary and Pat are then exhilarated by their love for each other - and Shakespeare is deeply moved and happy by the whole situation. In the end Navin realises that the mad man really was Shakespeare and we realise the thing he started writing in the taxi was Romeo and Juliet. Well - anything can happen in a taxi!