Coming June 6th…

Coming June 6th…
The Mercy Chair
"John Banks is one of the UK's most prolific audiobook narrators, working for the likes of Big Finish, Audible, Random House and Games Workshop.

He is a true multi-voice, creating everything from monsters to marauding aliens.

He is also an accomplished stage and TV actor."

audible.co.uk 2018

Hello...

...I'm John Banks - welcome to my website.

The majority of my working life has been spent in the theatre with companies including
York Theatre Royal, Cheltenham Everyman, Sheffield Crucible, Bristol Old Vic, Manchester Royal Exchange and the National Theatre in London.

Television work includes Emmerdale, Coronation Street, and 'Allo, Allo!'. I have also worked on a number of radio drama and comedy productions with the BBC.

Since March 2009, I have enjoyed playing a huge variety of characters in more than 270* audio-drama stories with Big Finish Productions, together with The Black Library/Games Workshop, details of which can be found in the postings below.


There are also details listed here of the 214* audio books & stories I've recorded since March 2013,
including the unabridged New Revised Standard Version of The Bible, for companies including audible.co.uk, Hachette, Audible Studios, Podium Audio Publishing, HarperCollins, RNIB, W.F. Howes, Little Brown Group, Penguin Random House, Games Workshop, Orion, Fantom Films & Ladbroke Audio.

(*figures at April 2021)

I hope you find something of interest here and come back soon for further updates.


For all posts, reviews and audio samples, please scroll down...

The Runewar Saga: Book 2

The Runewar Saga: Book 2
The Crown of Fire & Fury

The Botanist

The Botanist
Washington Poe Series: Book 5

Skaven Deathmaster

The Babel Books

The Babel Books
The Fall of Babel - click image above for link to audible

Doctor Who: Back To Earth

Throne of Light: Dawn of Fire Book 4

Throne of Light: Dawn of Fire Book 4
Release Date: 13th November 2021

Soul Wars

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Tuesday 26 January 2010

The Song of Megaptera


CAST:

Colin Baker (The Doctor), Nicola Bryant (Peri), John Benfield (Captain Greeg), Neville Watchurst (Stennar/Manus), John Banks (The Caller/Ship's Computer), Susan Brown (Chief Engineer/Chanel), Toby Longworth (Stafel/1st Security Guard), Alex Lowe (Axel/2nd Security Guard)

SYNOPSIS:
Deep space in the distant future, and Captain Greeg and his crew are hunting mile-long Space Whales on a vast harvesting ship. By pure accident, they also capture the TARDIS.

The Doctor and Peri must use all their wits to survive. But what is the creature running loose in the ship's bowels? And can the Doctor save Megaptera before its song is extinguished forever?

Scheduled for release in May

Online reviews & comments:

The Caller:
'There is a nice sub-plot with a fungal techno shaman which adds tension through the story and the shaman is a pretty interesting character with one of the best alien voices in a while.'

Computer:
'John Banks has a great time as the computer who's personality gets switched multiple times; settling on a psychopathic game player who rattles forth l33t speak. Yes it's silly but it raised several smiles and the injokes for gamers sit unobtrusively in the background.' 


Monday 25 January 2010

The Coming of The Long Distance Duck

I noticed that this episode of Allo, Allo was on BBC 1 yesterday and I think it's possibly the first one I worked on at the Elstree studios, where Nouvion town square and Cafe Rene had a permanent home. Below is a 'screen-cap' from the original episode.


Thursday 14 January 2010

The Start


Lost Theatre Company have recently moved into their new permanent building in Wandsworth, after 25 years as an itinerant organisation. To celebrate the fact and to launch the theatre, they held a 'Five Minute Play Festival' for new writers in December; our contribution was a play called The Start and here are a couple of images of Robert Heard and me from the dress rehearsal. Directed by Rachel Illingworth for our Small Coin Theatre Company.

Wednesday 13 January 2010

Jago and Litefoot

The first season of Jago and Litefoot has now been recorded, and the box set of four stories is due for release in June 2010. It is currently available at a special discounted pre-order price of £30. Click on the Big Finish link for further details.

I was in two of the stories, The Bloodless Soldier and The Similarity Engine and had great fun working with such a fabulous company, including Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter and a wonderful director, Lisa Bowerman, who made the whole event a joy. I also took part in the first of the Christmas podcasts from BF which might still be available via their web site if you are interested.



















The Jago and Litefoot series follows directly on from the Companion Chronicle The Mahogany Murderers, and comprises four stories:





The Bloodless Soldier by Justin Richards
Directed by Lisa Bowerman
Guest cast: John Banks, Alex Lowe and Robin Bowerman
In which a group of soldiers return from duty overseas and bring a terrible evil with them...

The Bellova Devil by Alan Barnes
Directed by Lisa Bowerman
Guest cast: Stephen Thorne, Peter Silverleaf and Duncan Wisbey
In which Jago and Litefoot investigate a dead man who appears to have died before.

The Spirit Trap by Jonathan Morris
Directed by John Ainsworth
Guest cast: Janet Henfrey and Lex Shrapnel
In which Jago and Litefoot visit a psychic.

The Similarity Engine by Andy Lane
Directed by Lisa Bowerman
Guest cast: Matt Steer
In which an old enemy reveals his masterplan.


The box set includes a bonus fifth disc with an extensive 'Making of' documentary. There are interviews with all the cast and the production team, behind the scenes clips, plus exclusive extracts from the Writer's Notes read by Lisa Bowerman.

Dalek Universe 2

Kragnos Broken Realms

Age of Sigmar Dominion

The Moggotkin of Nurgle

Kragnos Broken Realms

Dawn of Fire Book 1: Avenging Son

The Lore of Direchasm

Direchasm

A C'tan Shard Rises 3

Indomitus: Necrons 2

A Lord Among the Stars 1

Angels of Death Preview

Ultramarines

Psychic Awakening

Warcry: Death or Glory

Warhammer 40,000

Flight. Redefined.

Reviews & comments:

The Malazan Empire

Over the course of this 8 book series, the amazing John Banks has had to create and voice 648 distinct characters!

Neil Gardner - producer

The Door In The Wall & War of The Worlds

Not often I buy another version of an audiobook I own, but after hearing John Banks' narration of The Door in the Wall by Ladbroke Audio, I had to buy their version of The War of the Worlds. Banks has a great reading voice.

Andy Frankham-Allen - writer

The Books of Babel: Senlin Ascends, Arm of The Sphinx & The Hod King

Mr. Banks does superb work, and I recommend the audiobooks wholeheartedly!

Josiah Bancroft - writer

Mervyn Stone: The Axeman Cometh

John Banks is a voice genius...

Nev Fountain - writer

Mervyn Stone... played by the note-perfect John Banks.

Matt Hills - Reviews in Time and Space

Dr. Who: The Sleeping City

I also must draw attention to John Banks who is an exceptional voice artist and in this one story performs more characters that I can count. ... it is listening to episodes like this one that really do let his talents shine through.

Tony Jones - Red Rocket Rising

Highlander:

...playing several parts, was the brilliant Big Finish regular John Banks - it was as if there were about 40 different actors in the other booth.

James Moran - writer

I went for the best of the best and brought in voice artiste extraordinaire John Banks.

Paul Spragg - producer

Vienna:

...also features the mind - bogglingly versatile and reliable John Banks

Jonathan Morris - writer

Dead Funny:

The acting is first rate… wonderfully played by John Banks as Richard – his impersonation of Eric Morecambe is worth the admission money alone.

Beverly Greenberg: Bolton Evening News

Mr. Happiness:

This early and unfamiliar play by David Mamet is a character study of a 1930s radio counsellor, dispensing suave advice to his devoted listeners. John Banks brings out the wry comedy of this – comedy quite unappreciated by the character – with a clever range of gesture and vocal tone.

Jeremy Kingston: The Times


All My Sons:

This is a beautifully crafted piece ...and it affords a wonderful opportunity for John Readman* to do his All-American Boy act as Chris Keller. This most polished and well observed performance as the blighted son of a blighted father must rank as one of his finest accomplishments yet. ( * see Profile)

The Stage

The Ordeals of Sherlock Holmes

Kudos should also go to John Banks. Lestrade can be a thankless part, but Banks rose to the challenge, playing a pivotal role in this decades long arc.

Raissa Devereux - SciFiPulse

The Judgement of Sherlock Holmes

John Banks is multi-tasking, both as the superb Lestrade and also the villainous and no doubt moustache twirling Sebastian Moran. They sound completely different and I bow to his talent.

Sue Davies - SFcrowsnest


Further reviews and comments are included with specific postings throughout the site.

The War Doctor

The War Doctor
December 2015