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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Thursday 31 March 2011

April Fool !

A short message from Mr Nev Fountain, author of:

     The Mervyn Stone Mysteries











'I have decided to write an original and free Mervyn Stone short story - on TWITTER!  I'm going to start on April 1st as part of a month-long build-up to the paperback release.'

The story is entitled The Pen is Mightier Than the Nerd, and to read it, all you need do is follow Mervyn on Twitter @mervynstone and drop by frequently for updates.

To whet your collective appetite, here's a little synopsis for what's in store...

Mervyn Stone wakes up beside a corpse. The corpse used to be noted memorabilia collector Alistair McGuffin, who has been bludgeoned to death by an autograph. The autograph is a rare signed photo, encased in perspex to keep it mint... and it's in Mervyn's hand.

Mervyn tells the police he was only there to retrieve his chelsea boots... and then the boots turn up.

Beside the bodies of two more collectors, also killed that night.

At this point, Mervyn works out he's in a spot of bother.

Can Mervyn clear his name? And will he ever get his chelsea boots back?

Friday 11 March 2011

March 2011 - Part Two, Act III ...breaking news!

March is certainly shaping up to be an interesting month...

During the last few days, completely out of the blue from my point of view, I've been offered some work on Emmerdale for Yorkshire Television, playing a character called 'Peter Jennings'. Recording starts next week and already, an interesting coincidence has occurred! I'll post further details after the event, probably in the April update.

To cap a busy week, I'm delighted to say that those fabulous fellows at BF have invited me to another Doctor Who convention, details of which, appear in the poster below; what fun!

ACT III Guests:
LOUISE JAMESON
JOHN NETTLES
BURT KWOUK
COLIN BAKER
MARY TAMM
WENDY PADBURY
DEREK MARTIN
CHARLIE ROSS 
  
Big Finish Sponsored guests: 
KATY MANNING
NEV FOUNTAIN
BETH CHALMERS
NICK BRIGGS
LISA BOWERMAN 
JOHN BANKS
JOHN DORNEY
ROB SHEARMAN
SIMON GUERRIER
NIGEL ROBINSON
PAUL FINCH
 MIKE MADDOX

NB: the guest list is subject to change.

Sunday 6 March 2011

March 2011

In an attempt to improve on last month's late posting, here's an early update. This month sees the release of Doctor Who stories To The Death with Paul McGann and Industrial Evolution with Colin Baker. The artwork and synopses have been posted previously - scroll down a little - and Highlander Series 2 box-set is also scheduled for release this month.

Vortex 25  has the poster art below to announce the upcoming release.
Amazing artwork by Grant Kempster.


With the flurry of recent releases, there are quite a few things to listen to this month and I've just been enjoying listening to Lucie Miller, which arrived through my letter box a few days ago, along with The Feast of Axos. Part of the fun of catching up with the stories is that, because of the huge amount of work that goes into post-production, (editing, sound FX, orchestral and musical scoring etc.) they are usually released many months after recording and it's therefore possible to hear them with a fresh ear, as any other listener would. It's really only from this point onwards that the stories can be fully appreciated - and remembered! The actors have relatively little time to work on the scripts before recording and a similarly short time in the studio; indeed, we sometimes don't even meet each other. Consequently, it often comes as quite a surprise to hear the finished work, to hear what everyone else was doing while I was having coffee and chats in the green room and of course, to listen to the interviews they have given, which are often included as 'bonus' tracks on the finished CD or download.

So, having enjoyed listening to Lucie Miller for the first time, I can't quite decide whether to listen again immediately or make a start on Axos - tricky! Perhaps I should continue with Mission To Magnus, which, I know, was released many months ago, but which I've only just started? Tricky, tricky...

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