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 28 August 2018

Silent Souls...

Apologies again, for yet another lightning quick update; same excuse - crazy busy - (come November/December you might see what I mean!) - so a couple of very recent releases from The Black Library, which, as ever, I hope you enjoy!

The Lords Of Silence

A Warhammer 40,000 novel

The galaxy has changed. Armies of Chaos march across the Dark Imperium, among them the Death Guard, servants of the Plague God. But shadows of the past haunt these traitors…


The Cadian Gate is broken, and the Imperium is riven in two. The might of the Traitor Legions, kept shackled for millennia behind walls of iron and sorcery, has been unleashed on a darkening galaxy. Among those seeking vengeance on the Corpse Emperor’s faltering realm are the Death Guard, once proud crusaders of the Legiones Astartes, now debased creatures of terror and contagion.

Mighty warbands carve bloody paths through the void, answering their lord primarch’s call to war. And yet for all their dread might in arms, there is no escape from the vicious legacies of the past, ones that will pursue them from the ruined daemon-worlds of the Eye of Terror and out into the smouldering wastes of the Imperium Nihilus.

Written by Chris Wraight, Produced by Kylia Whitehead & Narrated by John Banks

Running length: 10 hours - 10 minutes


Raven Guard: Soulbound

A Raven Guard audio drama

On Delephron, a mag-train hurtles through the desert. Within its confines lies hidden a message that could bring the Raven Guard into such ill repute it would risk its very survival…


On Delephron, an immense mag-train hurtles through desert. Within its metal confines there lies hidden a message, one that could bring the Raven Guard into such ill repute it would risk its very survival. Only the Shadowmasters, the finest of the Chapter’s elite have the skill to infiltrate the high-speeding mag-lev and extract the message before their presence is known.

But dark forces stir against them, servants of the Plague God intent on their own fell purpose. And who is the Inquisitor Bledheim and what could he possibly know to inflict such a deadly blow to the sons of Corax?

 John Banks, Tim Bentinck, Steve Conlin, Emma Gregory, Matthew Hunt & Toby Longworth

Written by George Mann & Produced by Matthew Renshaw

I love the artwork for both these stories; I've added a few more images below for good measure. 




Lots more to come, but for the moment, alas. that's ...

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


Wednesday 15 August 2018

Faker!

The third and final episode of Prophets of Waaagh, released entirely for your enjoyment!

The Waaagh! Faker

Part 3 of Prophets of Waaagh!

The greenskins have gathered to start the Waaagh! and bash things up. But when a trap is sprung, Uggrim's boyz have to team up with their rivals to fight their way out.


The latest adventure for the Red Sunz mekmob concludes in the final instalment of a three-part audio drama! A horde of orks are gathering from all over the planet have made their way to a salt lake camp. But they discover the Waaagh! is a false one set up by the Imperium using psychic technology to lure the orks into a trap. Uggrim and his biggest rival Grimgutz must work together to fight their way out.

Performed by Tom Alexander, John Banks, Cliff Chapman, Steve Conlin, Matthew Hunt, 
Jonathan Keeble, David Seddon & Joe Shire

Written by Guy Haley & Produced by Matt Renshaw

* * * * *

Currently in a 'prep week' and about to start recording the fifth of The Niccolo Books, by Dorothy Dunnett, next week. Very tempting to regard this as 'time off', though time is ticking and the next book is almost 900 pages long! Discipline JB, discipline!

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

Tuesday 7 August 2018

The Lords of Terra

Week seven, audio book seven; an early start in the morning to continue this week's book and it's already late. So before sleep claims me, there's just time to post details of some Black Library stuff released earlier this week:

The Lords of Terra

The primarchs – and the Emperor’s closest ally, the mysterious Malcador – star in three audio tales that lay bare their ambitions.



 
As the Imperium of Mankind spreads across the galaxy, bringing all of humanity into its embrace, the advance is spearheaded by the primarchs, superhuman sons of the immortal Emperor. Each of these heroes is a warrior born and a leader bred, but darkness lurks in the hearts of some and threatens to tear apart all that they have worked to build.

This audio drama anthology contains three full cast tales, starring the primarchs Konrad Curze, better known as the sinister Night Haunter, and Perturabo, the Lord of Iron. In both stories, the seed of treachery in their hearts threatens to derail their efforts to bring unity to the nascent Imperium. In addition, one story focuses on the mysterious Malcador the Sigillite, the Emperor's closest ally and confidante, as he tells secrets to a dying friend.

First Lord of the Imperium by L J Goulding
Stone and Iron by Robbie MacNiven
A Lesson in Darkness by Ian St Martin

Performed by John Banks, Tim Bruce, Beth Chalmers, Cliff Chapman, Steve Conlin, Jenny Funnell, Matthew Hunt, Jonathan Keeble, Toby Longworth and Andrew Wincott

Produced by Matt Renshaw

Total running time 1 hour and 13 minutes

* * * * *

Bozgat's Big Adventure

Trapped alone (well apart from Frikk the grot, but he doesn't count, does he?), the mek Bozgat must find himself to safety – after he deals with a band of rebellious grots…


The latest adventure for the Red Sunz mekmob continues in the second part of a three-part audio drama! Bozgat, the smallest of the meks, runs out of fuel for his bike and is separated from the crew. Lost alone with Frikk the grot, he stumbles across a trading outpost deep in the desert and finds himself in trouble with a bunch of rebellious gretchin. Can Frikk save the day?

Written by Guy Haley

Performed by Tom Alexander, John Banks, Cliff Chapman, Steve Conlin, Matthew Hunt, Jonathan Keeble, David Seddon & Joe Shire

 Produced by Matt Renshaw

Running time 22 minutes 

...and finally:

Not the usual kind of voice I have to come up with for The Black Library, but now that it's all done, I think it works well - phew!



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

Thursday 2 August 2018

This meenz Waaagh!!!

Good afternoon!

Having completed recording on this week's book, along with some very interesting voice over and audio drama stuff, I now have a small 'window' of time, during which, I am trying to catch up with 'life', before starting prep for next week's book. And so, I can squeeze in the mention of a recording released earlier this week from The Black Library, details of which appear below:

Prophets of Waaagh!: The End of Daze

Part 1 of Prophets of Waaagh!

Stranded on a backwater world, Uggrim and his Red Sunz embark on a new adventure after their Stompa is attacked by a horde of snotlings – could it be a portent of a new Waaagh!?


The Red Sunz Meks are back! Uggrim, Snikgob, Bozgat, Talker the Madboy and Frikk the grot return. Their space hulk knocked out of the sky following the Great Rift, the boyz have fallen on hard times. Stranded on yet another backwater world, they are locked in an endless series of skirmishes over diminishing supplies with rival Mek Grimgutz.

When Fat Mork is beset by an invasion of snotlings, attacked by ork Wildboyz and Talker the Madboy goes a bit nuts, the boyz reckon a Waaagh is coming. Uggrim and his mekboys set out to join it.

Written by Guy Haley & Produced by Matt Renshaw

Performed by:

 Tom Alexander, John Banks, Cliff Chapman, Steve Conlin, Matthew Hunt, Jonathan Keeble, David Seddon & Joe Shire

Running time 21 minutes.

This short 'commuter length' audio drama, was almost too much fun to record and there are two more episodes to come. Although I'm principally playing a character called 'Mek Grimgutz', I confess to being strangely proud of my performance as one of the two Grots, who inevitably 'bite the dust' early on in proceedings; I think it's the very high pitched squeal I emit on point of death - don't know where it came from and didn't know I could actually make a sound like that! I'll highlight the character on my CV... maybe.

PS: there's also this:


...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