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

Media Content

This Windows 10 Googleblog is designed and best viewed on Firefox; unfortunately, some media content may not function properly with other browsers or operating systems.

Search This Blog

Thursday 28 July 2016

listen, enjoy, repeat...

Y'know, those good folks at Games Workshop do seem to like springing surprises and this month has had it's fair share. Earlier in July, I mentioned the four story collection of Realmgate Wars audio dramas Knights of Vengeance. 

Now also available, in a single box set collection, are the eight audio dramas that make up the entire epic saga: The Prisoner of the Black Sun, Sands of Blood, The Lords of Helstone and Bridge of Seven Sorrows by Josh Reynolds & Beasts of Cartha, Fist of Gork, Fist of Mork, Great Red and Only the Faithful by David Guymer.

Here's some fabulous artwork and further details of the stories in this collection:


A journey into the Realm of Death in search of Nagash himself leads the Hallowed Knights Warrior Chamber known as the Bull-Hearts into a dangerous alliance with an arch-betrayer... and the consequences of that decision lead them on another hunt, searching the Realm of Beasts in a quest for vengeance. Eight audio dramas weave a tale of hope, treachery and retribution that crosses Realms, life and death.

Performed by Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Ian Brooker, Beth Chalmers, Steve Conlin,
 Jonathan Keeble, Toby Longworth, Stephen Perring, Saul Reichlin, Luis Soto and Ramon Tikaram 

Produced by Matthew Renshaw


Also released this month, is the audio drama The Either, again with some fabulous cover art. This story has been available in other formats earlier this year, but here it is now in all it's individual glory!


Tybalt Marr, Captain of the Sons of Horus, swears to bring down a thorn in the Warmaster's side: the commander of the so-called "Shattered Legions", the infamous Shadrak Meduson.


Captain Tybalt Marr of the Sons of Horus, so often overlooked by his more glory-hungry brethren, returns to his Legion in triumph. However, his boasts of having slain the infamous Iron Hands warleader Shadrak Meduson soon fall flat when he learns of the recent assassination attempt on Horus himself. Gathering his forces upon the conquered world of Dwell, Marr returns to battle against the Shattered Legions, determined to earn his rightful place in history.

Performed by Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Robin Bowerman, Ian Brooker, Steve Conlin, 
Toby Longworth, Luis Soto & Ramon Tukaram 

Written by Graham McNeill & Produced by Matthew Renshaw


...all for now, more just as soon as it hapens!

Tuesday 19 July 2016

The Dragon Lords: Fool's Gold

Released today from Hachette Audio UK:




It's not easy to live in a world ruled by dragons. The taxes are high and their control is complete. But for one group of bold misfits, it's time to band together and steal back some of that wealth.

No one said they were smart.


Unabridged audio book narrated by me with a running time of 15 hours - 46 minutes. 


...all for now, more just as soon as it happens!

Thursday 14 July 2016

...hi John, yeah, it's a great part - a gangster. Yeah, a gangster, really mean; gritty. Oh - and he's a raccoon...

Sometimes I wonder if the guys at Big Finish - Mssrs Richardson, Briggs, Bentley, Dorney & Fitton - get together from time to time, share copious amonts of alcohol and devise characters commensurate with the phrase "...betcha Banksy can't play that!"

Who knows? Whatever the case may be, the 'challenges' that have so far come my way, include being required to play several Gestalt Entities ie, The Morass, a swarm of leeches, a sponge, a fog, several Metatraxi and Numlocks (could have been Tabshifts or Alt Gr Backspaces!) a whole host of other creatures and alien beings, a dingo, an octopus and most recently - a raccoon. A raccoon. Happy to pick up the gauntlet and run with it, I decided to make him Swiss - just for the fun of it! And here is the result:



Come to Ricosta! Tropical climate, untouched beaches, fabulous cuisine... and no extradition treaties. The perfect retirement planet for a certain type of 'business person' – such as Ms Melanie Bush, formerly the co-owner of the Iceworld emporium, now on the run from her former criminal associate's criminal associates...

Some other former associates of Ms Bush are abroad in this space Costa del Crime, however. Not long ago, the time and space traveller known as the Doctor arrived here, alongside his sometimes-criminal associate, the reformed juvenile offender Ace. But now the Doctor's gone missing – and Melanie Bush is about to learn that on the planet Ricosta, the wages of sin... are death.

 Sylvester McCoy The Doctor   Bonnie Langford Mel   Sophie Aldred Ace 
Ginny Holder Gloria/Secretary  Des McAleer Lefty Lonnigan  Stephen Hagan Nathan Later
 Harry Myers Atomon/Sperovore Banker/Steward 
John Banks Mayor/Sperovore Auditor/Sperovore Financer 

Other parts portrayed by the cast

Written by Matt Fitton
Directed by Ken Bentley  


This is quite an unusual addition to the Big Finish playlist and I'm very much looking forward to giving it a listen. In the meantime, I'm back in the BF studio next week for more fun; but that's...

...all for now, more just as soon as it happens!

Thursday 7 July 2016

...what's going on?

...a line from Eastenders or a classic album from Marvin Gaye? Your call; mercy, mercy me...

So this month of July brings some new stuff for the ears of the world to wrap themselves around and a few audio surprises to savour. I've also been in a variety of windowless rooms, otherwise known as recording studios, to lay down some heavy sci-fi/fantasy beats, for no other reason than to bring joy and enlightenment to the universe - well, someone had to give it a go.

The first thing to mention this month is the release of Only The Faithful, the fourth instalment of The Knights of Vengeance series from Games Workshop, in which I play Lord Relictor Ramus. Here are some details:

At last, the Hallowed Knights have cornered their quarry... but the vampire they seek has amassed an army of the dead, and the price of vengeance will be dear indeed.


After a gruelling journey, the warriors of the Hallowed Knights and Astral Templars have found their quarry in the Sea of Bones. During the hunt, Mannfred the vampire lord has raised a mighty undead host to protect the realmgate he has claimed.

Whilst Ramus of the Hallowed Knights seeks the vampire’s head and Vandalus of the Astral Templars wants to reclaim the realmgate, both must fight as one and alongside their orruk allies if they are to triumph. Against one of Nagash’s mortarchs, the test will be stern and only the faithful will prevail...

Performed by:

Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Ian Brooker, Steve Conlin, Jonathan Keeble, 
Stephen Perring, Saul Reichlin and Luis Soto 

Written by David Guymer & Produced by Matthew Renshaw






One of the surprises I alluded to above, is that all four stories in this series are available together; whoda thought it?
























As this is only the first week of July, the rest of the month's releases are, well, yet to be released. I will of course publish details here when they become available; in the meantime, here's news of an unabridged audio book I recorded recently for Hachette, which is scheduled for release on the 19th:



It's not easy to live in a world ruled by dragons. The taxes are high, and their control is complete.

But for one group of bold misfits, it's time to band together and steal back some of that wealth.
No one said they were smart.


Written by Jon Hollins and narrated by me, with a running time of 15 hours, 46 minutes.

* * * * *

There's much more to come this month, but for the time being and in time honoured fashion, I'll sign off by saying...


...all for now, more just as soon as it happens!

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