"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 Crown of Fire & Fury
The Botanist
Washington Poe Series: Book 5
Skaven Deathmaster
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
Release Date: 13th November 2021
Soul Wars
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March! Can't believe it's already the third month of 2016; the time has zipped by in a flurry of audio drama and audio book recordings. Such has been the pace of recent events, (ie barely able to remember what I've done!) that I'm sure, when the opportunity comes to listen to these various recordings, they'll all sound quite new and fresh, which is how it should be I suppose.
I'm currently listening to Pharos and the two stories I contributed to the War Without End anthology, namely, All That Remains and The Harrowing. I have to say, I'm really enjoying the story of Pharos and if you choose to invest in a copy, all 13 hours and 22 minutes of it, I hope you'll enjoy it too.
Now, as we're into a new month, there are a number of new recordings scheduled for release and the first to mention this month is the second box set of stories from Big Finish, collectively referred to as Doom Coalition 2.
Here are some details and a bit of an audio-visual treat:
Doom Coalition 1 saw the travellers defeat the Eleven's first terrible scheme – but the
battle's not over yet. An encounter with a group of invading Voord
places the TARDIS on the trail of the next threat against reality,
concealed within the Time Vortex! But this may be the least of the
Doctor's worries; because River Song (Alex Kingston) needs the Doctor’s help on a distant planet…
Continuing on from the explosive opening box set, Doom Coalition 2 pits the TARDIS team in another battle against the Eleven (Mark Bonnar); an insane Time Lord whose previous incarnations still exist in his head.
2.1 Beachhead by Nicholas Briggs
In an attempt to recharge his batteries after his confrontation
with the Eleven, the Doctor takes Liv and Helen to the sleepy English
seaside village of Stegmoor. But they find the village in turmoil and,
to make matters worse, their arrival uncovers a mystery from the
Doctor’s past which threatens the future safety of the planet. Can the
Doctor prevent the Voord from invading Earth? And more importantly why
have they come in the first place?
2.2Scenes from her Life by John Dorney
Investigating the appearance of the Voord on Earth, the Doctor, Liv
and Helen follow a trail which takes them to the other side of the
universe. There they discover a mysterious and almost deserted gothic
city lost in space and time, in which the grotesque inhabitants are
conducting a vile and inhumane experiment. The Doctor and his companions
must hurry to save the lives of those in danger before the experiment
is a success and the unimaginable consequences become all too real.
2.3The Gift by Marc Platt
The TARDIS deposits its crew on Earth in San Francisco, 1906. There
they find an actor-manager desperate to stage his definitive production
of King Lear. But a real storm is headed their way when he becomes the
possessor of a mysterious psychic ‘Gift’ which is hungry for power and
intent on wreaking havoc and destruction. But exposure to so much
psychic activity has the Doctor becoming increasingly erratic. Can he
battle his demons and save the world?
2.4The Sonomancer by Matt Fitton
On the other side of the galaxy a mining company is exploiting the
already unstable planet of Syra for every precious mineral it contains.
River Song is attempting to save the native people. She needs the
Doctor’s help, but she also knows he mustn’t yet discover her true
identity. The final confrontation sees the Doctor once again face his
enemy the Eleven in an attempt to prevent the destruction of Syra and
the genocide of its inhabitants.
Paul McGann, Nicola Walker, Hattie
Morahan, Alex Kingston, Rebecca Night, Julia Hills, Kirsty Besterman,
Andrew Dickens, Emma Cunniffe, Vincent Franklin,
Jacqueline King, Hamish
Clark, James Jordan, Paul Marc Davis, Cory English, Laura Harding,
Enzo
Squillino Jnr, Derek Ezenagu, Janet Fullerlove, John Banks & Mark Bonnar
Written by Nicholas Briggs, John Dorney, Marc Platt & Matt Fitton
Directed by Ken Bentley
* * * * *
Last week saw the completion of the fifth book to be recorded in Ian C. Esslemont's Malazan series of novels and this week I've recorded two audio books for Fantom Films. Next week, I'm once again off to Games Workshop HQto record an audio drama and a really fascinating and quite challenging audio book with ace producer Matthew Renshaw.
I look forward to sharing details of all these projects when they become available - and when I'm allowed to!
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.