Olivia Ormond is a writer, director, performer, and filmmaker from Connecticut who works between New York. Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. She has worked in film, TV, music videos, and advertising, winning two Emmy awards for her work in sports documentary. She is making her debut at the Edinburgh Fringe with her one-woman show, ‘Call Me Crazy’, based on her own experiences of the gender health gap. We spoke to Olivia about the show, the healthcare system in the US, and her expectations for her first Fringe.

Can you tell us about ‘Call Me Crazy’?

‘Call Me Crazy’ is a one-woman show based on my own experience navigating chronic pain and being dismissed by the medical system. It’s about what happens when your body falls apart and no one takes you seriously, when doctors run out of answers and start questioning your sanity instead. The play follows a woman who hits her breaking point, runs away in search of clarity, and ends up back in the same waiting room she swore she’d never sit in again.

It’s darkly funny, deeply personal, and explores themes like womanhood, invisible illness, identity, and the cost of being unheard. It’s also about what happens when you stop apologizing for taking up space and start telling the truth out loud. This is the first time I’ve performed something I wrote, and it’s easily the most vulnerable thing I’ve ever made.

How was the writing process or the show? Is it based solely on your own experiences, or is it an amalgamation of several voices?

The writing process was intense. I tried to avoid writing it for a long time. I kept trying to wedge the story into more traditional formats, but it never landed. It only started working when I dropped the filter and just told the truth. So yes, it’s based entirely on my own experience. It’s not inspired by a true story, it is the story. That said, since starting this process, I’ve heard from so many people, especially women, who’ve had eerily similar experiences. So while it’s personal, it definitely doesn’t feel singular anymore.

The gender health gap is a subject that will be painfully familiar to so many women. Here, we’ve got national health care, which has its own pros and cons. Can you tell us about how the system works when it’s private or insurance based as in the US?

Yeah, the US system is complicated, expensive, and honestly exhausting. Most healthcare is tied to insurance either through your job or bought privately which means your access to care depends a lot on your financial situation, your employment, and whether or not your insurance deems something ‘medically necessary’. It’s a constant maze of referrals, approvals, surprise bills, and being told, ‘no’ by people who’ve never met you.

For women, and especially women with chronic or invisible illnesses, it becomes even harder. You’re already fighting to be believed, and now you’re also fighting a bureaucracy designed to save money, not lives. I spent years being bounced between doctors, specialists, and insurance denials, only to end up with no real answers, just bills and more self-doubt. It’s isolating. It wears you down. And that’s part of why I wrote the play because so many of us are living this quietly.

The show is about to premiere next month at the Hollywood Fringe Festival. How are the preparations going?

Chaotic in the best way. It’s a mix of excitement, stress, and total vulnerability at all times. We’re deep in rehearsals, fine-tuning every moment, and figuring out how to make a single person on stage feel like a full world. The story’s finally where it needs to be, and now it’s about getting it in front of people and letting it breathe. It’s terrifying, but it also feels exactly right.

‘Call Me Crazy’ is directed by Juju Jaworski. It’s always interesting to see the intersection of writing, direction, and performance. What has Juju brought to what is your creation as the writer and performer?

She’s brought such an enriching perspective as the director. As a director myself, I knew I couldn’t do this alone. I needed an outside voice to see the blind spots and help shape the show into its full potential. Juju has this incredible ability to hold space for the rawness of the material while still crafting it with clarity and intention. I love collaborative work, and this has been that at its best and truest form. We’ve built this together, and it’s stronger because of it.

Who are your influences as a writer and performer? Was there a specific catalyst that made you determined to pursue a career in the creative arts?

Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been a huge influence on this play specifically. Coming from screenwriting, seeing Fleabag’s trajectory from a one-woman show to a groundbreaking TV series. It really showed me how powerful theater can be, not just as its own form but as something that ripples out into other genres. It gave me permission to be raw, messy, funny, and devastating all in the same breath. As for pursuing the creative arts I don’t think there was ever one big catalyst. I’ve always been pulled toward storytelling. It’s the only language that’s ever made sense to me.

How familiar are you with the format of Edinburgh Fringe? Do you have any expectations of how August is going to go?

This is my first time performing at the Fringe, so I’m definitely learning as I go but I’ve always admired how wild and unfiltered it is. I know it’s going to be intense: packed schedules, tiny venues, no sleep, and a whole city full of artists doing the most personal work of their lives. I expect it to be chaotic, overwhelming, and completely electric. I’m ready to be cracked open by the experience, honestly. That’s kind of the point.

You’ve won two Emmys for your work in sports documentaries. Can you tell us about that?

Yeah! That chapter of my career was wild in the best way. I was working with NBC, creating documentary-style features for the Olympics. We were telling these incredibly human stories behind the athletes, and what I loved most was getting to show the emotional, often unseen side of competition. It wasn’t just about medals, it was about resilience, identity, and everything that happens off the field. What meant the most was knowing those stories connected with millions of people. It really showed me how powerful personal storytelling can be, even on a global scale.

We always love to hear recommendations from performers at the Fringe. Are there any other shows that you feel we should definitely check out?

Yes! Olivia Raine Atwood has two shows [‘Oops’ and ‘Faking It’] going to the Fringe this year, and she’s an absolute pro when it comes to the festival. She’s been such a great sounding board for me throughout this process, so I’m definitely excited to see what she’s bringing to Edinburgh.

‘Call Me Crazy’ is at Clover Studio at Greenside @ Riddles Court, Fri 1 Aug to Sat 9 Aug 2025, at 13:45