‘Doctors love numbers; they get off on them…’
Olivia Ormond’s one-woman show explores the all too common issue of medical gaslighting in the intimate setting of Greenside Riddle’s Court…
Set in a doctor’s waiting room with just a chair as a prop, Olivia explores her history of chronic pain and how this has been belittled and dismissed by medical professionals. This will no doubt be familiar to anyone assigned female at birth; indeed, I saw a lot of angry nods among the audience when I was there. Beginning with being asked to rate her pain on a scale of 1-10, we discover that it’s not as simple as filling in numbers on a form, that discomfort and ability to do tasks varies day by day and sometimes hour by hour. Things like driving, getting out of bed and having sex can be impossible. But if a doctor decides it’s not as bad as a man suffering a different ailment, you’re out of luck.
Being able to make your own medical choices is an important theme, with Ormond discussing breast reduction as an ‘early bloomer’ and the shame and stigma surrounding it, even being judged by her own family. Who really owns a woman’s body? Ormond would argue it’s men who make decisions based on paper forms and their own biases.
It’s a very relatable show for anyone who’s had to argue their case to get treatment, especially for reproductive conditions. Bring your male friends and prepare them to have their eyes opened.
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Call Me Crazy is at Greenside Riddle’s Court from 1-9 Aug.