The Radical Flu is a radio play by Rose Hammer and part of Rose Hammer's National

Episodes series.

No Steam Ahead is the sixth chapter of this radio play.

As the second wave of the Spanish flu strikes Kristiania, we meet an ensemble of characters from all corners of society around the dining tables of the city’s busiest restaurant, Dampen in Torggata 8. We sit down with Regine Stang, who for many years was a well sought-after private doctor in the city, but more recently has become the prison doctor at The National Prison for Women at Storgata 33, and at that the first in Norwegian history. She will be pivotal in establishing ideals around the “healthy body” through various public health campaigns such as ski clubs for women. Ragna Nielsen, founder and principal of her School for Latin and the Sciences, the first school where both sexes could go, and where women would teach boys, which at the time was something quite unheard of. A writer and a women’s rights activist, as well as critic and medium in spiritism. Pottit, an old alcoholic railway worker. Ruth, an equally old, but proud laundry worker. Sigurd Simensen, part of the inner circle of the new radical current in the Labour Party, and chairman of the Workers’ Councils central committee. Knut Hamsun, writer and soon to be Nobel Prize winner in Literature, who would also become a Nazi sympathiser. And last, but certainly never least, Martin Tranmæl, the volcanic rock of the Norwegian Worker’s movement.

The Radical Flu has been commissioned by osloBIENNALEN with the kind support of KUF

KHiO. Recorded in collaboration with Notam and RadiOrakel.