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 23 August 2016

...an 'august' update - hopefully!

Only the second update this month and very little in the way of excuses as to why I've been away from the blogosphere. Wait a minute; did you say 'Olympic Games'? Ah, yes; I have been glued to the Olympics and huge congratulations to all, medal winners or not and indeed to Rio for hosting the whole thing under difficult circumstances. Roll on Tokyo!

I wonder what events the Space Marines would be good at? Weight lifting? Shooting, TaeKwon-Do? At least those and several others I should imagine; but I digress.

Once again those good folks at Games Workshop have managed to spring a surprise or two over the last couple of weeks and I should give proper details of them here. A while ago, I mentioned that the second quartet of stories in the Realmgate Wars series had been released under the collective title Knights of Vengeance. Subsequently, the entire eight story saga was also released under the title The Realmgate Wars: The Audio Collection. What I have only recently noticed however, is that the first four stories have also been released under a collective title, The Hunt For Nagash. And so, perhaps somewhat out of sequence, here are the details:

In the long-ago Age of Myth, Sigmar's pantheon of gods conquered the Mortal Realms and ruled them in peace – until the coming of Chaos. Among the greatest of Sigmar's allies was Nagash, the god of Death and ruler of the underworlds of Shyish.


At the height of the Allpoints war, Nagash betrayed his oaths of loyalty and doomed Sigmar's plans to failure. Now, as the God-King's Stormcast Eternals battle to liberate the Mortal Realms, a force from the Hallowed Knghts Stormhost has been sent to find Nagash and bring him back into the fold. But as they search the Realm of Death, they find only the servants of Chaos – until a chance encounter provides hope. If they can trust a vampire, that is.

The Hunt for Nagash Audio Drama Collection consists of four audio dramas by Josh Reynolds, in a zip file:






Performed by:

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

Written by Josh Reynolds & Produced by Matthew Renshaw
* * * * *
And secondly for this month and coming as a complete surprise, a release from the Warhammer 40,000 range of stories, which are set some 10,000 years after the original Space Marine adventures.
  
Deathwatch: The Last Guardian
Dark Angels Brother Balthasar and a Deathwatch kill-team investigate a long-dead eldar craftworld infested with daemons…
As part of an elite Deathwatch kill team, Brother Balthasar of the Dark Angels joins a special Inquisitorial mission to the eldar craftworld of Kher-Ys. Long ago ravaged by the daemonic forces of Slaanesh, the craftworld may still harbour the unlikeliest of allies for the Space Marines, and the key to a greater victory for the Chapter.
Performed by:
Gareth Armstrong, John Banks, Tim Bentinck, Steve Conlin, Jonathan Keeble, 
Penelope Rawlins and Tania Rodrigues 

Written by C Z Dunn & Produced by Matthew Renshaw

* * * * *

And that's just about it for this posting; I'm currently preparing an audio book to record in October and awaiting some audio drama scripts for early September. I think there might also be another audio book or two to fit in around that schedule, although, as the sun is shining and the great outdoors beckons, I reckon I can safely defer any proper activity at least for the rest of the afternoon - a bit of executive time management - The Doctor would surely approve!

...all for now, more 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