Shakespearan works are often known for their pathos and their poetry. In Titus Andronicus, however, it’s all about the bloody.

A slick production of the gruesome tragedy is now being staged by Shakespeare Theater Company as part of the Shakespeare in Washington festival. The story starts off pretty slowly, mired in complicated political intrigue that fails to fully engage. Then, the limbs start coming off, and things proceed swiftly from there.

Titus is at heart a revenge story between the titular character and the devious Tamora, Queen of the Visigoths, whose son was slain by Titus after the general took him prisoner. This act sets off a series of increasingly violent events, reaching a horrific conclusion when Titus reveals just exactly what is in the dinner he’s serving to his royal guests.

How Tamora hasn’t usurped or at least challenged Lady Macbeth in the canon of villainous Shakespearean woman is a confounding question. The queen has absolutely no qualms sending an innocent female (the ever-consistent Colleen Delany) to be raped and mutilated by her sons, and her crimes don’t start there. Valerie Leonard’s performance is all cold strength and calculated sexuality. Most of the performances in Titus are fine but distant, standing up to the text but not delivering too many nuances of their own. Alex Pudulke’s take on Saturnius is a little riskier, even though his casually slimy demeanor sticks out a bit among his more formal, restrained counterparts.

Gale Edwards’ staging his full of grandeur and effect, with some missteps; an abrupt videtaped sex scene featuring Tamora’s randy sons seems out of place; actors are frequently blocked to seem as if they are posing rather than interacting. But there is plenty of imagery that will stay with you; the red-soaked sleeves and jagged scar marring the staggering, victimized Lavinia, a creepy closing shot of a child that delivers a final, unsettling blow. While neither a perfect work nor a flawless production, this Titus is a sickly thrill ride, even if the thrills at times seem to be cheap ones.

Titus Andronicus runs through May 20 at Shakespeare Theater. Tickets are available online.