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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Sunday 31 October 2021

...and - pause


 ...pause indeed! Good afternoon dear, patient reader and welcome to the first update since August - August!

Hard to believe that so much time has passed and so much has happened. Regular visitors to this site, will know that a lack of updates is usually an indication of activity. For several months now, I've been either prepping or recording or both, on pretty much 'back to back' projects and the only 'news' outlet I've had time to use, is Twitter, so this weekend marks a significant 'pause'. I say 'pause' because it really is a momentary blip of time off; I completed a recording project on Friday evening and begin the next one tomorrow morning.

Again, regular readers here will know that I'm not allowed to talk about the work I've been doing, before titles become commercially available and many companies are now adopting a strict policy of not allowing contributors to mention anything in advance of publication. With no desire to go against the wishes and legal restrictions imposed by my employers, I'll stick to the policy of publicising only those projects that have been officially 'launched'.

What I can say, is that since the August posting, much has occurred and much has been recorded, in a variety of formats. What I can also say, is that there are happily a number of projects that I am allowed to mention and here are some details:


Cain's Last Stand

Book six of the Ciaphas Cain series

After a long and distinguished career defending the Imperium from its many enemies, Commissar Cain is enjoying a well-deserved retirement on Perlia, teaching in a schola progenium. But when a Black Crusade threatens the sector, all able-bodied citizens must rise to the defence, including Cain and his cadets. As the forces of Chaos overwhelm Perlia, can the wily commissar prove himself to be a real hero of the Imperium one last time?

 


The Imperium's most unlikely hero is back, reluctantly returning to the front line and hoping his luck will hold out!

 

Performed by: 

   Stephen Perring, Penelope Rawlins, Richard Reed, John Banks & Phillipe Bosher

 

                   Written by Sandy Mitchell & Produced by Matthew Renshaw

                                    Running time 10 hours and 31 minutes

 

©2021 Games Workshop Limited (P)2021 Games Workshop Limited
 
 
* * * * *
 

Path of The Specialist

Written by Pedro Urvi

 
Path of The Ranger Book 6
 

The moment has come to follow the Path of the Specialist. Will our friends attain the elite specialties for which they are aiming?

 


Training at the Shelter, led by the Mother Specialist and tutored by the four Elder Specialists, is turning out to be more intense than any of them had expected. The proficiency test will determine their future, and they will have to prepare and practice harder then ever if they want to graduate with the highly valued elite specialties.

But that is not their only concern. They will have to face new mysteries, strange characters, unusual situations, dangerous experiments, bewitched jewels, great predators, conspiracies, and murder attempts in a place that oozes arcane power that's thousands of years old.

Will they achieve all this? Will they solve the mysteries that surround them? Who will reach the elite specialization? Who will fail? Who will survive...and who will die?

 

                                 Produced by Emily Derr & Performed by John Banks

                                                  Length: 15 hours - 32 minutes


©2021 Pedro Urvi (P)2021 Podium Audio
 
* * * * *
 

Descendants of The Fall 

Written by Aaron Hodges 

Contains books three and four of Descendants of the Fall.

Age of Gods, book three

Pursued by the inhuman Tangata, Lukys flees on foot through the wilderness. He and his companions make for the ocean, a stolen ship their only hope - but even that may prove fleeting. For should they reach the island of Perfugia, a war is brewing between the kingdoms of humanity. Lukys fears he will find only more death on the shores of their homeland. But they have nowhere else left to go.

Meanwhile, the Queen’s Archivist might hold the key to peace. Standing before the City of the Gods, Erika has dreamed of this moment her entire life - so why does she feel such dread? The City is nothing like she imagined, plain stone buildings in place of soaring towers. And the Gods have sworn against interference in the struggles of lesser beings. She must make them see the truth, convince them to abandon their ancient laws, or humanity will fall. And the Tangata will rule, ascendant.

 


 

Dreams of Fury, book four

On the distant shores of Perfugia, Lukys and Sophia have finally found sanctuary - and an unexpected power left by their ancestors. But their refuge cannot last. The inhuman Tangata are marching upon humanity, and divided by war, the kingdoms cannot stand against them.

Meanwhile, Erika flees the Mountains of the Gods, the weight of failure heavy on her shoulders. Far from coming to humanity’s aid, the Gods have sided with the enemy. Erika seeks to warn her friends of the coming threat, but she returns to find a world at war. The Flumeeren Queen has turned against her neighbors - and while she claims to want only unity, it matters not to her whether the kingdoms submit willingly, or by the sword.

In a world torn by war, can Lukys, Sophia, and Erika bring together the scattered forces of humanity in time to face the coming threats? Or will human civilization Fall again?

 

Produced by Troy Otte & Performed by John Banks 

Length: 16 hours - 39 minutes
 
 
©2021 Aaron Hodges (P)2021 Podium Audio
 
 
* * * * *
 

The King of The West

Written by Pedro Urvi

 
Path of The Ranger Book 7 
 

Can a handful of Rangers decide the fate of a kingdom?

Lasgol and his companions are immersed in their missions as Specialist Rangers. The situations and problems they will face are much greater than they imagined.

The civil war in Norghana intensifies. King Thoran, with the support of the eastern nobles and an army of mercenaries paid with the gold of the crown, wants to put an end to the rebellion. He wants to end the King of the West and his League by any means necessary.

Our friends will be involved in intrigues, betrayals, persecutions, murders, battles, sieges, and all kinds of situations that will test their loyalty not only to their kingdom, but to their friends and colleagues.

 
Produced by Emily Derr & Performed by John Banks 
 
Length: 15 hours - 17 minutes
 
©2021 Pedro Urvi (P)2021 Podium Audio
 
 
* * * * *
 
At the moment, that's just about as much as I'm allowed to mention in detail, though the wait for further releases, shouldn't be too long and I'll post more on those recordings as soon as I'm able.
 
In the meantime, thanks again for stopping by, happy listening! 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