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 20 March 2012

March 2012

March already and this month's posting is a bit of an oddity insofar as there's quite a bit going on, which you might well be interested in, but which unfortunately, I can't really talk about in detail - how frustrating!

What I can say, is that in recent weeks, I've been 'reading-in' on a series of Doctor Who stories and I'm scheduled to do more later this month. From a production point of view, there are all sorts of logistical reasons for doing this and for me, it's great practice, great fun and an interesting challenge to play multiple roles without the pressure of having to give a definitive performance.You may remember that I also did quite a bit of reading-in on Stargate SG-1, although that was slightly different in that I also had characters of my own to play.

Released in January, Sherlock Holmes: The Tangled Skein has attracted some very positive reviews; this is taken from Mass Movement magazine and appears on the BF website:

'From Baker Street to Devon (and Baskerville Hall), The Tangled Skein hurtles along at an unholy pace, twisting and turning its way to the final battle between Dracula and Holmes. Nicholas Briggs and Richard Earl are as reliable as ever as Holmes and Watson and leap into the story with gusto and bravado, which in turn helps to ensure that the rest of the ensemble (especially John Banks and Giles Watling) turn their performances up a couple of notches, delivering one of the best Holmes tales that I’ve been privileged to experience, leaving me with a rabid desire to track down and buy the novel (by David Stuart Davies) on which the play is based. Peter Cushing was right. It would be an incredible film… '

ScripTease  

The Electric Theatre, Guildford 

LynchPin Productions Theatre Company present an evening of play readings in the intimate setting of our Cafe Bar. It is their hope to expand the concept of Readers' Theatre, 'teasing' out scripts and exposing audiences to plays they might not otherwise have the chance to experience. ScripTease also offers playwrights the opportunity to test new work with actors in front of a live audience.



Post Modern - A new play by Gareth Strachan:

Brecht, Pinter, Beckett, Chekov, Shakespeare, Ibsen, Behn. Seven dead playwrights stuck in Purgatory as blue collar postal workers for 'crimes against theatre'.







Thanks to all who turned up to last night's reading of Post Modern; a large and enthusiastic audience helped to make the evening great fun and a great success. This was my first time performing at such an event at The Electric Theatre and indeed, working with LynchPin and I have to say that I very much enjoyed playing 'Samuel Beckett', something I never expected to be able to say and which will probably never happen again!

Last week, I also took part in a private play-reading at The Duke of York's Theatre: Code of Conduct by Kathryn Duffy and John Berry. A fascinating 'work in progress' which I hope goes on to be developed into a full production.

To bring the month to a suitably theatrical finale, I'm off to see a stage version of the hugely popular '90's sit-com Birds of a Feather  tonight, with my very good friends        Gary Lawson and Jenny Lecoat, who wrote many of the scripts for the television series. Gary has in fact also written this stage version of the show and so I'm looking forward to a very festive evening's entertainment.




And just to further my credentials as a bit of a culture vulture, tomorrow evening I'm going to Circus Space in London to see a performance of circus skills given by graduate students, which should be fantastic.



More Doctor Who next month and more updates anon...

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