"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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Thursday 31 December 2020

New Year's Eve...

And so, the end of an extremely torrid year is now drawing swiftly to a close - thank goodness! 
Just before 2020 fianlly bites the dust, there are the final two releases of the year to mention and here are some details:

 

The Chaos Cycle: Part II Chains of Legacy

After defeating the Warlord of the Turan Khar, Rylan Lauchlin has assumed his place...and his troubles. 


 

Deprived of the ancient magic that allowed the Khar Unity to exist in harmony, their society is slowly dying, and it is now up to Rylan to save it. But only one man has the knowledge to release the magic of the Core - the same man who locked it away in the first place - and that man is imprisoned within Rylan himself.

On the other side of the world, the rulers of the Kingdoms have taken advantage of the devastation of Karikesh to mount a counterinvasion. Gil and Ashra find themselves pressed to protect the people of Malikar from a genocidal campaign aimed at driving them back into the Black Lands.

 

Narrated by John Banks

Run time: 10 hours - 59 minutes

 

©2020 ML Spencer (P)2020 Podium Audio

 

Followed quickly by:

 

Path of The Ranger Book 2:

War has broken out in the North. The Corrupt Lord of the Ice has invaded Norghana with a host from the Frozen Continent. Will the king and the Rangers manage to stop him, or will they die in the attempt?

Darthor is seeking to dethrone King Uthar. He is on his way to conquer Norghana and take the crown. He has invaded the kingdom and has a host from the Frozen Continent at his command; Wild Ones of the Ice, Snow Trolls, Albino Ogres, Semi-Giants, Tundra Dwellers, Arcanes of the Glaciers, and creatures unlike anything anybody has ever seen before.

Uthar gathers together his armies and prepares to repel him. But not all the Norghanian nobles are with the king. The Western League does not support him, and they want to regain the crown for the West, for the Olafstones.

Lasgol and his partners will have to overcome an arduous second year of instruction at the Camp if they want to become Rangers one day. The tests will be far harder and the effort required much greater. Rivalries will surface, but so will companionship and even love. He will find out that he does not know the whole truth about what happened to his parents or about his new friend Camu. New mysteries, which he will have to investigate and solve, will arise and drive him to confront life-and-death situations.

Will Lasgol and his friends survive the second year of training? Will they survive the war? Will he succeed in solving the mysteries that surround him? Will he find betrayal...and discover the true enemy?


Narrated by John Banks

                                                           Run time: 12 hours - 7 minutes

 

©2020 Pedro Urvi (P)2020 Podium Audio

 

 * * * * * 

 

Before I wrap things up here, I just want to say a big 'thank you' to you for visiting these pages over the last year; it is greatly appreciated. Hopefully, in a short time from now, the pandemic will come under the control of the vaccines and we can all go back to living our lives to the full. As we welcome in the new year; with any luck, this time in 2021, will once again, look something like this:

 


 

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

 

Happy New Year! 

 

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