How do you like your your comedy? The American premiere of Steven Moffat’s “The Unfriend” at Asolo Repertory Theatre triggers a lot of good, hearty laughter, but it comes at a cost, or at least a simultaneous queasy reaction that makes you want to cover your eyes to shield yourself from the embarrassment faced by one character or another. 

“The Unfriend” is the first play by Moffat, a British writer best known as the co-creator of the TV series “Sherlock” and a writer on the long-running BBC hit “Dr. Who.” It’s about a British couple who meet a live-wire widow on a cruise over a couple of days and wind up reluctantly hosting her in their London home. Peter and Debbie are too polite and don’t know how to say no, but they also know nothing about their guest, Elsa Jean Krakowski from Denver.

A day before Elsa’s expected arrival, Debbie does a Google search and discovers some worrisome and potentially dangerous information about their guest (which I won’t share here).

Just as they’re trying to figure out how best to cancel the visit, Elsa is at their door and the couple try to act as though everything is normal, though you can feel the undercurrent of tension and nervousness that runs through each scene.

Producing Artistic Director Peter Rothstein has put together a strong cast with expert timing and a good understanding of the characters. They make the most of the best of Moffat’s writing, even at its crudest. You may instantly feel guilty about laughing at some jokes Elsa makes about an obese person.

On the cruise, Elsa bluntly encourages Peter to relax, telling him, “You’re so tense, you could snap a proctologist off at the knuckle.” 

That line is just a prelude to the kind of toilet humor – literally – that is to come, some of which may make you laugh even as you cringe inside or cover your eyes from embarrassment.

But it’s easy to find pleasure in the finely tuned performances, led by the vibrant, bigger-than-life Elsa played by Sally Wingert (well remembered from her Mrs. Lovett in “Sweeney Todd” in 2019.).

Wingert’s Elsa is a wise woman who has found the secret to enjoying life and isn’t afraid to share it, and she makes her presence known with colorful outfits (nicely designed by Fabian Fidel Aguilar) that match her attitude. Elsa makes herself at home in London, much to Debbie and Peter’s dismay, though they can’t deny the positive impact she has on their kids – their teenage son. Alex (Zach Harris). takes a break from video games and their self-centered daughter. Rosie (Ashley Raymond). starts thinking of others.

As Peter, Brian Wallace navigates a funny line between calm and nervous wreck. Any little thing could send him into a panic, causing him to stumble and fluster through lies and cover-ups. As Debbie, Carla Noack comes off as more confident, though she just has a different way of expressing her discomfort.

And then there’s Mark Benninghofen who is an irritating delight as the neighbor who keeps popping over to resolve a yard dispute, but he is so frustratingly nice and boring that Peter can’t focus on what he says.

One of the real stars of the show is the set by Kate Sutton Johnson, who returns after several previous Asolo Rep productions. We first see the partial view of a ship and sundeck, which entertainingly shifts into Peter and Debbie’s house, heightened by Philip Rosenberg’s lighting and the terrific projections of Greg Emetaz that depict flying ships, maps and other objects between scenes.

There are a few scenes that feel both a bit repetitious and padded and also underdeveloped. I wanted to know a little more about Elsa than is revealed, and some things just never get explained in a satisfying way. But Rothstein’s production creates a sense of fun, even if you feel a little queasy along the way.

“The Unfriend” by Steven Moffat. Directed by Peter Moffat. Presented by Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Reviewed Feb. 20. In repertory through March 22. Tickets are $35-$105. asolorep.org; 941-351-8000.