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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Monday 27 March 2017

Warhammer 40,000 Death Guard




Launched at Adepticon in March 2017, here's a short trailer I recently voiced for the new Warhammer 40k miniatures and a link to the Lexicanum for further information on the Death Guard:







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


Wednesday 22 March 2017

The Silent Scream...

Or, given the nature of the story, perhaps it should be 'The Silent Ice Cream'...?

The second of this month's audio releases; a fun and festive audio drama from Big Finish. Here are some details and a trailer:

On the set of a busy Hollywood movie in the late 1920s, a damsel is in distress! As cameras roll, she opens her mouth to scream and... nothing comes out. Nothing at all. It's happened again.




The Doctor, Romana and K9 have arrived in a terrified Tinseltown. A new film is being made and several stars of the silent screen are viewing it as a potential comeback... but it may prove a poisoned chalice. Actors are vanishing and strange creatures stalk the streets.





Something evil is lurking behind the scenery. Can the Doctor stop it when he doesn't have a voice?

It's time for his close-up...

Tom Baker The Doctor Lalla Ward Romana John Leeson K9  
Alec Newman Dr Julius Pamela Salem Lorretta Waldorf Jane Slavin Nelly  
Andrée Bernard Lulu Hammerstein John Banks Director / Cab Driver

Written by James Goss & Directed by Nick Briggs


"I think the hand of Nicholas Briggs as the director is evident in the pitch perfect pacing and guest casting. I’d give examples of the great guest cast; but that is the entire cast list this time.

I give this one a silent but deadly 10/10!"


Here's a link to the rest of this very generous review: Indie Mac User 


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

Sunday 19 March 2017

The Binary Succession

Dear and ever patient reader, thanks as ever for stopping by and please accept my apologies for not updating for a while. Regular readers will know that the usual reason for a dearth of posting activity, is that work has robbed me of the time to gather and express news of recent events and the last few weeks have busy indeed.

I've been preparing two audio books for The Black Library. In their different ways, both presented a considerable challenge and after a re-jigging of the original schedule, I found myself recording both books in a single week. That in itself is quite a challenge, both physically and mentally. Sitting in front of a microphone for seven or so hours a day, fully concentrating and articulating some tricky  text, along with creating voices for over 70 named characters, certainly draws heavily on stamina. One of the effects of such concentration, which I must say, I do thoroughly enjoy, is that time seems to evaporate; a full day in the studio feels more like a couple of hours and it often comes as a bit of surprise that the working day has come to an end.

For different reasons, I'm excited at the prospect of listening to both audiobooks when they become available; in the meantime I've just listened to one of this month's Black Library audio releases and details of it appear below. I'm in the unusual position at the moment, of having been given a small, but beautifully formed collection of future releases on CD. I'm wondering whether to listen to them only when they become generally available, or gorge myself on them as soon as I have time? I must also be wary of prematurely mentioning stories that will not be released for some months.

In addition to last week's audio book recording, I was also delighted to record the voice over for a forthcoming Games Workshop trailer, but I really can't say any more about that for the moment - top secret! Less secret is that together with producer Matt Renshaw, I recorded quite a long podcast interview with Kenny Lull for the Combat Phase web site. We all had great fun chatting about Black Library recordings, stories and techniques and hopefully, listening to the podcast when it becomes available, will also be fun and informative. More details to follow!

And so to the first of this month's audio releases: The Binary Succession by David Annandale. Here are some details:

The Binary Succession

A Horus Heresy audio drama

Increasingly sidelined by the lords of Terra, Mechanicum Fabricator General Kane – desperate to keep the Martian priesthood relevant despite the treachery of his predecessor – takes drastic action to secure his position.



Even as the Imperium faces the renegade Legions of the Warmaster, the ruling Council of Terra is becoming paralysed from within by increasingly petty bureaucracy. Fabricator General Kane has seen his fellow Mechanicum adepts dismissed again and again by the High Lords – with his traitorous predecessor Kelbor-Hal still at large on the Red Planet, the political status of the tech-priesthood remains ambiguous.

New alliances must be forged from the old, if Mars and Terra are to survive the final battle.



Gareth Armstrong, Steve Conlin, Penelope Rawlins, Toby Longworth, Ian Brooker, John Banks, 
Luis Soto, Antonia Beamish, Cliff Chapman 

Written by David Annandale & Produced by Matt Renshaw

* * * * *

 



On a different subject; last Sunday at 10pm on the CBS Reality tv channel, I could be found playing Miami Detective Ted Macarthur in the series Killer Cops. If you happened to miss it, I'm sure it will be repeated for ever, probably, so have no fears.

I had fun recording the program last autumn and I'm pleased with how it all came out in the end. The CBS web site for the series has nothing featuring the episode I was in or indeed, me; so here's a company logo instead...


* * * * *

Traditionally, Sunday afternoon was always a time for me to do homework and despite having left full time education several decades ago, today is no exception. I'm back to record more with Black Libray next week and in the meantime, ie now, I must do some preparation. Details to follow, but that's...

...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