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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Friday 27 January 2017

HG Wells short stories and classic novels

Another release, or set of releases, which has taken me by surprise! Not because I'd forgotten about them, far from it; no, just that the first inkling I had of their release came late last night in a tweet form Fantom Films.

I think the release of six audio books in a day is a statistic I will never match again - a positive 'glut'! The artwork for these stories really seems appropriate to the period in which they were written, in my humble opinion and here, along with synopses and samples are the details:

 


Herbert George Wells was a novelist, teacher, historian and journalist, who has become known as the “father of science fiction.” His works have been adapted countless times, and provided the basis for many literary and theatrical productions.


A Victorian scientist known only as the Time Traveller creates a machine capable of moving through the fourth dimension. Using it, he is transported to the year 802,701 and thrown into a life and death adventure with the fearsome Morlocks.




A meteor-like alien object lands on Earth, spearheading an apocalyptic chain of events. Earth has been watched, and now the aliens have landed and their intent is conquest and war…



As a result of an accident with an experiment, two unlikely friends are propelled on a journey to the moon. But a whole new universe of terrors await them there, including the insectoid Selenites. Will they be able to overcome these perils, and find a safe way home?



A mysterious stranger in a long-sleeved coat, with a bandaged face and wide-brimmed hat, arrives in a small English village. But his incongruous appearance is nothing compared to the secret of the clandestine experiments he is undertaking…   



A collection of twelve short stories and the transcript of a dream. Included in this collection are Filmer, The Magic Shop, The Valley of Spiders, The Truth About Pyecraft, Mr Skelmersdale in Fairyland, The Inexperienced Ghost, Jimmy Goggles the God, The New Accelerator, Mr Ledbetter’s Vacation, The Stolen Body, Mr Brishner’s Treasure, Miss Winchelsea’s Heart and A Dream of Armageddon.




A collection of eight short stories exploring science fiction and fantasy themes. Included in this collection are A Door in the Wall, The Star, A Dream of Armageddon, The Cone, A Moonlight Fable, The Diamond Maker, The Lord of the Dynamos and The Country of the Blind.  

* * * * *

 

I was thrilled and flattered to be asked to record these HG Wells stories. The longer novels were already familiar to me, having seen a number of versions made for television or the cinema; not to mention the legendary Mercury Theatre radio adaptation of 'The War of The Worlds', famously devised and directed by Orson Welles, which allegedly caused mass panic in the USA when it was first broadcast by CBS in 1938.

I confess to never having read the original books and I certainly didn't know the short stories. However familiar these stories might at first appear, I hope, should you listen to any of them, that you will discover new and unexpected aspects to each narrative.

In their differing ways, each one of these novels and short stories revealed something new to me and I was regularly surprised as to how Wells articulated his highly original and profoundly influential ideas. 




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

Thursday 12 January 2017

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends...!

2017 - 'raay! Many thanks for dropping in and may I wish you a very happy and peaceful new year.

My festive break felt alarmingly short and I'm already back at work; in fact, today is my first 'free' day so far in '17 and a couple of stories have already been recorded, although I would be amazed if  this year's number of audio releases comes anywhere close to the 61 releases of 2016. We shall see...!

So, first up in 2017 is a 'soon to be rleased' release from The Black Library and here are some details:

Virtues of The Sons Sins of The Father

A pair of Blood Angels audio dramas from the Horus Heresy explore Amit and Azkaellon, Sanguinius' closest sons, as they explore their natures through brutal combat with each other and champions of other Legions. 

 

For more than two hundred years, the armies of the Emperor of Mankind fought to reconquer the galaxy - led by the superhuman primarchs, the Space Marine Legions brought countless worlds back under the rule of ancient Terra. Now Horus, once honoured Warmaster and favoured son of the Emperor, has been corrupted by the whispered promises of Chaos. At his command the Imperium is torn apart by a terrible and bloody civil war, the likes of which the galaxy has never seen...

Many and varied are the ancient traditions of Baal Secundus, home world of the IXth Legion, and foremost among these traditions is the Tempest of Angels. Intended to demonstrate skill in attack or defence, in recent times this symbolic duel has been used by the primarch Sanguinius to test his most loyal sons. Now, with the galaxy descending into madness and civil war, he must urge Azkaellon and Amit to put aside their rivalry and learn the lessons of both the past and shadowed future alike.
 

 

Virtues of The Sons

by Andy Smillie  

 Toby Longworth, Jonathan Keeble, Steve Conlin

Sins of The Father

by Andy Smillie 

Toby Longworth, Jonathan Keeble & Steve Conlin 

Narrated by John Banks & Produced by Matt Renshaw

* * * * *

I may well mention this production again when it's actually released. I already have acopy of the CD and I must say, it's quite a beautiful thing; a triple gate fold sleeve and some fantastic artwork by Neil Roberts. 

I'm still well behind in my listening; in fact, at the moment, I'm re-listening to The Dragon Lords, which has a good deal of humour and sounds pretty good - in my unbiased opinion! Still haven't heard any of the seven Malazan novels I recorded in 2015/16 and they really will take some time to listen to; most of them come in at a running time somewhere between 25 and 35 hours...
 

A new year and much already in the pipeline, although for the first time this year, it's now time for me to say...

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

 

 * * * * *

Footnote: When creating this posting yesterday, for reasons still unknown, I experienced a number of display problems which it has taken time to rectify. Some 'older' images have also been removed from the site which I intend to replace with newer and, hopefully, more interesting ones as the year goes by. 

Thanks again for visiting!

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