The title alone suggests that the Alfred Hitchcock parody play “The Hung Man” might be a wee bit naughty. Knowing that it comes from Buffalo United Artists, a theater company known for doing whatever it wants to (and doing it very well), the only question is how naughty will it be?

“The Hung Man” lands heavily on the side of “fun naughty.” A goofy, LGBTQ+ sexy romp, it relies on 1950s gender confusion/denial, old fashioned society jokes and loads of Hitchcock-ian references, arriving, on average, at about three per minute. 

Hitchcock himself (in the person of Caitlin Coleman) introduces the show with the admonishment that is not a parody of his films, but rather a “serious homage.” Don’t worry. It isn’t. 

Based loosely on Hitch’s lesser known homo/socio/erotic thriller “Rope,” all the action takes place in an upper apartment with an expansive Rear Window, through which one see Birds against a Topaz sky when looking North by Northwest, etc etc. 

In “Rope,” former college buddies and thrill killers Brandon and Phillip are played by John Dall, who was gay, and Farley Granger, who was bisexual. In “The Hung Man,” the characters are named John and Farley, played by Rick Lattimer and Vinny Murphy. They are joined by John’s naïve fiancée, Grace, who at one point is accused of putting on airs as though she’s the princess of Monaco. Jenny Marie McCabe is outstanding as the way-too-understanding girlfriend, especially when John tries to remake her into his dream lover using everything but a beard.

Complicating matters, their old friend “Jimmy” (Alex Reiser) wheels in from a different film, with his broken leg and a pair of binoculars around his neck, and Coleman, now playing Mother, rejoins the group to round out the party.

It’s an odd gathering. Unlike in “Rope,” where we see Brandon and Phillip stuff their strangled friend into a chest before they start serving cocktails on it, in “The Hung Man” we DON’T KNOW what is in John and Farley’s trunk, but we know it’s not junk.

Hence, a silly sense of suspense enriches this risqué riff of a mixed-up mystery, well-tempered with giggles, groans and before the end, a few uncontrolled bursts of laughter. As BUA says in its promo, the show “is a satirical feast on the queer undertones during Hollywood’s Golden Age of Cinema,” and when those undertones become overtones, all heck breaks lose. 

It brings to mind a favorite scene from a more recent – and openly gay – movie, “The Bird Cage,” when Nathan Lane’s character tries to look more masculine by walking like John Wayne. He simultaneously nails the walk AND looks even more gay, leaving a stunned Robin Williams to admit “I just never realized John Wayne walked like that.” The things you never realize till they – literally – come out in the open.

Drew McCabe’s direction leans the action into the laughs, while costuming by Isabel Urbanski-Farrell, wigs and makeup by Brenna Prather and props by Mike Doben underline the story’s cinematic heritage. Stefanie Warnick must have had her hands full as fight and intimacy director, while Roy Walker handled lighting and the genre-setting sound. Special shoutout to Nicholas Vitello for his evocative poster and program work.

“The Hung Man” by Ian Bonner and Marty Shea continues through May 3 at Compass Performing Arts Center, 545 Elmwood Ave. Shows are 7:30 p.m. Fridays and 5 p.m. Saturdays. Tickets are $30 plus fees at buffalounitedartists.org.