“Laughter is the best medicine—that and Nyquil.”

Too true. And deadpan lines like that help Intiman’s new adaptation of the Molière comedy A Doctor in Spite of Himself go down as smoothly as a Nyquil nightcap. It’s 90 (very entertaining) minutes of clowning around, with Tony-nominated actor and Seattle newcomer Daniel Breaker leading the parade of antics as Sganarelle, a woodcutter playing doctor to a little rich girl… Wait, that doesn’t sound right. But it sort of is right. Molière’s love of commedia meant his plays were often bawdy and over the top, with enough double entendres to charm the courts of Kings Henry III and Louis XIV.

Intiman’s production, co-adapted by director Christopher Bayes and Steven Epp, is no exception; it takes the best of classic commedia—innuendo and improvisation by a talented team of professional misfits—and adds a modern flourish. Seventeenth-century greetings are replaced with “Yo, yo, yo, ’sup.” Colorful profanity and WTFing abounds, though it grows wearisome. Meanwhile, musicians Greg C. Powers and Rob Witmer (of “Awesome” and The Love Markets fame) provide a live soundtrack of carnival tunes and hip hop, collectively playing an accordion, cymbal, trombone, tuba, ukulele, clarinets, and drums.

But the best moments come when cast members take turns stealing scenes from each other, engaged in some unspoken war to make one another break character. It’s hilarious. Of particular note is Allen Gilmore channeling Eddie Murphy’s Nutty Professor to play Geronte, father of the sickly rich girl, who’s prone to hysterical sobbing fits and breakdancing (his gyrating to “Baby Got Back” was a crowd favorite). Breaker also lives up to his pedigree; he’s excellent, period.

Though Intiman’s Doctor playfully attacks the medical profession, its fangs aren’t that sharp. Rather, it’s the perfect complement to their last play—the soulful, moving Ruined a testament to their ability to do comedy and drama with equal skill under new artistic director Kate Whoriskey.

A Doctor in Spite of Himself runs at Intiman Theatre through Oct 10.