Comedy is a tragedy happening to someone else... Seneca’s grisly Roman tragedies came back into vogue during the Renaissance, and Commedia dell’Arte players included their own violent delights in their repertoire of shows. Shakespeare knew of this genre both from Seneca’s classical writings and from the contemporary performances of itinerant Italian players. He clearly had these in mind when penning Titus Andronicus, his own contribution to the genre of Renaissance horror story. The play is not exactly a barrel of laughs, but it is too shocking to stomach as a drama. Faction’s fifth season ends with a shriek, as we bring you the funniest version yet of Shakespeare’s bloodiest play. In the Fools’ darkly comic take, something wicked becomes something wickedly delightful.