THE rarely heard full title of Shakespeare’s bloody drama, The Lamentable Tragedy of Titus Andronicus, appears tautological unless you accept that ‘lamentable’ could mean pitifully bad.

It reminds us, though, of another of the Bard’s early works, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, in which we see ‘lamentable comedy’ in Pyramus and Thisbe.

This is laden, we are told, with ‘tragical mirth’ - an excellent description for what is offered in Titus Adronicus (likewise sourced from Ovid).

Blanche McIntyre’s excellent new production in the RSC’s main house stresses the comic element from the outset – once the balletic opening, is out of the way, with a hoodies-v-fuzz ruckus illustrating that we are in a modern Rome of huge political divisions.

Conquering hero Titus (David Troughton) marches on with a brass band, looking for all the world like a Sally Army officer.

But he isn’t behaving like one. First he orders the sacrifice of the eldest son of captured Goth Queen Tamora (big mistake!). Then he kills one of his own sons when he springs to defend his sister Lavinia (Hannah Morrish) after she rejects the hand of the new Emperor Saturninus (Martin Hutson) is favour of that of his brother Bassianus (Dharmesh Patel).

Saturninus, an oily political chancer in Tony Blair mode, instead weds the vicious Tamora (Nia Gwynne), placing her in an ideal position for revenge.

Her campaign manager is lover Aaron (Stefan Adegbola), a prototype Iago, who eggs on her sons (Luke MacGregor and Sean Hart – clearly no strangers to Stratford’s gyms) to unspeakable outrages.

Lavinia’s rape and mutilation is followed by the decapitation of two more of her brothers and Titus’s loss of a hand – at which point he laughs fit to bust. No tears left, he tells his John Major-like brother Marcus (Patrick Drury).

Until Sep 2. In cinemas Aug 9. rsc.org.uk 4/5

CHRISTOPHER GRAY