Imagine sitting down to dinner and finding that the table is made of drumskins. The plates and cutlery have been swapped for toys and electronic instruments, the meal itself is a spread of colourful sweets, and the whole lot has started to shake, rattle and wobble without warning.

That is the gloriously odd idea behind Falling Sweets / Afternoon Membranophone, which gets its UK premiere at Tramway this Sunday, 27 September, as part of Sonica Glasgow 2026. Just one performance is listed, at 2pm, so if you fancy a seat at this particular table, Sunday afternoon is your chance.

A meal that won't sit still

According to Tramway, the piece sees a couple sit down to "a very unusual meal". The table is set not on a solid surface but on a series of drumskins. As those surfaces start to vibrate unpredictably, the meal becomes what the venue calls "a knockabout performance and a hilarious illustration of the dynamics of vibration".

Asuna Arashi and Rima Kato perform the piece, and both are credited on "all instruments". A membranophone, for the curious, is any instrument that makes its sound through a vibrating stretched skin. That is exactly what the dinner table becomes.

The man with 100 keyboards

Sonica regulars may remember ASUNA from 2019. That year the Japanese sound artist and experimental musician assembled 100 different inexpensive electronic keyboards, from brightly coloured children's novelties to slightly more advanced models, and arranged them in concentric rings. He set each one to sound a single note, building what Sonica describes as a "digital-choral drone". Tiny differences in tone combined into interference patterns and sonic illusions as audiences moved around the circle.

The new work continues in the same spirit. Both Tramway and Sonica describe it as part of ASUNA's "playful, lo-fi" approach to using musical instruments in unpredictable ways.

Good for all ages

Tramway lists the show as highly visual, with little or no text. Sonica describes it as family friendly, which makes it an easy pick if you are bringing children or would rather watch than read. It is a seated performance.

Allergy notice: Sonica says the food used in the performance includes peanuts. Anyone with a peanut allergy should take this into account before booking.

The practical bits

  • When: Sunday 27 September, 2pm to 3pm (60 minutes, no interval)
  • Where: Tramway, Glasgow
  • Tickets: £12 general, £7 concession
  • Sonica Pass holders: 25% off tickets
  • Carers: free tickets
  • Concessions: senior citizens, people who are unemployed or on Universal Credit, students, disabled people and under-21s
  • Transaction fees: £1.50 online, £1.75 by phone
  • Box office: 0141 276 0950

Tickets can be booked online through Tramway or the Sonica website, or by phoning the box office.

The production is supported by the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation and the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation.