"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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Monday 28 October 2013

Wind And Wuthering

'Walking across the sitting room, I turn the television off...' and decide to write a quick blog update instead of being both a 'watcher of the skies' and the 'storm news'. In fact, rather than doing any of these things, at this very minute, I should really be in London for the first day's recording of an audio book, but St Jude's Storm has taken care of that - at least for the time being. If anything like a normal rail service is resumed today, we might go in and make a start. The process of recording only needs two of us; me to read and a producer to do everything else, but at the moment, we're both unable to travel and the executive producer is deciding what to do. It must be a logistical nightmare for him to potentially have to re-schedule a whole day's worth of recording across several studios and I don't envy him the task.

Moving on to other things; there was more Dr Who on TV this weekend, this time featuring Doctors 5 & 6, Peter Davison and Colin Baker respectively. The first story was Earthshock, broadcast originally from 8 March to 16 March 1982 which starred Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton as Nyssa and Janet Fielding as Tegan. It also marked the final appearance of Matthew Waterhouse who played Adric.


Synopses for this and all the other weekend classic Doctor stories are easily available elsewhere, so I won't go into detail about the story lines. I'm also keen that the postings I've done in response to the stories being shown as part of the 50th Anniversary, don't just appear to be an excuse for a bit of 'name dropping'. The motivation behind this series of updates really lies in my own personal reaction to having grown up with Doctor Who and now, quite unexpectedly, finding myself in a position of actually working with some of the actors I'd only previously seen on television, which is naturally quite a thrill.

I have very briefly met Matthew Waterhouse but never worked with him, although I'm aware that he has been recording quite recently with Big Finish. On the other hand, I've worked with Peter, Sarah and Janet on six productions and feel I know them all quite well, especially Sarah, who has become a good friend. Along with Mark Strickson, we bonded as a company during the severe winter weather a couple of years ago when we were recording three stories over a two week period, which is unusual for Big Finish.

In this weekend's second adventure with the Doctor, Vengeance On Varos, originally broadcast on 19 & 26 January 1985, Colin Baker played the title role and his companion was Nicola Bryant as Peri.



Just checking my CD collection to discover the current 'Colin count' is eleven, with more in the pipeline. Of course, I've also worked on a couple of Dr Who stories with Nicola and most recently, we've worked together on The Mervyn Stone Mysteries.

I must give a special mention to Nicola, because without her, in all probability, I wouldn't be writing any of this and wouldn't ever have worked for Big Finish. We got to know each other on a theatre tour of Don't Look Now, which also starred Peter Amory, Rula Lenska and Shirley-Anne Field.

As the tour progressed, we became good friends, sharing digs for most of our weeks away from home. With great generosity and kindness, Nicola recommended me to the producers at Big Finish and after submitting a slightly lashed together demo-reel, I was invited to work on my first audio drama for them, Paper Cuts, with Colin as the Doctor. So once again, a very big 'thank you' to Nicola Bryant!



Meanwhile, back at today's travel conundrum; if I can get into London somehow later this afternoon, I might have to check into a hotel for the night, as I can't imagine things getting back to normal any time soon and if we have an early start in the morning to catch up on lost time today...

PS: those of a certain generation, might have picked up on various 'musical' references in this posting and if you follow me on Twitter, you'll know what I'm thinking of... otherwise, how cryptic of me!

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