WHEN the Covid pandemic began, Tom Henry was forging a successful path as a stand-up comedian in New York.

Now back in his home village of Bramhope, he is still bringing a smile to local people by staging comedy gigs in a barn on his family farm.

Tom, who moved back to Yorkshire last June, has already staged Covid-compliant, shows at the barn, bringing TV comics such Daniel Sloss and Adam Rowe to Bramhope.

Tom grew up on Woodlands Farm with his mum Lynn, dad Gerrard, brothers Toby and Dominic and sister Thea.

He said: “I did a bit of acting when I was younger, but then moved to London to start a career in advertising. That career took me to New York where I lived for five years. I’d always loved stand up, but I became a bit obsessed with it over there. I lived right by New York Comedy Club in the East Village and would go there every week. Then, after a really bad break up, I needed something positive to focus on, so I took a stand up class. We did a showcase at the end, it went well, and I was hooked. I started getting on stage every night in New York, which was like living inside a movie.

“I managed to win a few ‘new faces’ type competitions and was just getting weekly spots at some of the big clubs when Covid hit, my Visa ran out and I moved back to the UK.

“When everything was closed, I was still desperate to do stand up, and I saw our barn like something out of ‘Field of Dreams’ and was like ‘I bet that’d make a hell of a Covid comedy venue’. So I ended up partnering with Get Comedy, and through their expertise and guidance, we managed to create a new comedy venue together last year - Comedy On The Farm. The shows were amazing, we brought Netflix comics like Daniel Sloss and club legends like Adam Rowe to our little farm in Bramhope. The Comedy Store even did a residency with us. It seemed to give people a real lift at a time when they needed it.

“So the plan for Comedy on The Farm is that even after Covid, we want to keep this going as a venue for people in the local area to enjoy. We’ve got shows all throughout July, August, September and October that will feature comics from the BBC, ITV and Comedy Central.

“One of the best things about the show is that we get to run them as a family. Dad helps on the car park and bar, and Mum is just generally in charge. She’s also becoming famous among comics for being the most hospitable venue host in the country and one of the funniest.

“I also love that every show we run contributes to Think Like A Pony, the unique equine therapy program my Mum runs from the farm to empower children who need help working through emotional or social issues.”

Visit comedyonthefarm.com for more information.