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As autumn approaches and the weather turns cooler, spare a thought for the stoic street entertainment community.

Armed with nothing more than a collection hat, their own raw talent – and, sometimes, a straight-jacket – come rain or shine, these professional buskers keep us entertained all year round ...and not just during festivals like the Edinburgh Fringe.

During the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, professional buskers gather at 10am every morning of the festival for the draw — an organisational technique echoed in cities throughout the world.

All the performers’ names are entered into a hat (well, strictly speaking it’s a Fringe tote) and names of acts are called out. If your name comes out – and it might not as there aren’t enough slots for everyone – you get to choose a time slot and street area for your performance.

You may think that street performers are in different self-appointed slots, popping up all day, but for many of them they only get one 45-minute performance in which to earn their crust.

That’s why you might see a performer asking the crowd to stay until the end of their set. Often their show is designed to optimise crowds and builds to a climax — their most daredevil stunt happening last. This means they can maximise their earnings for that all-important single show.

In order to get the attention of passers by, street performers need to make any interruption or evolving situation a part of their act. They need to think on their feet and react live. It might be a sudden crowd walking past; a siren; a ´óÏó´«Ã½ camera crew: whatever it is, they can get a laugh out of it.

They also like to push the boundaries of comedy and can, at times, afford to be edgy. Energetic and creative performers such as Eddie Izzard and Robin Williams started out as street performers, honing their improvisation skills and unique selling points before hitting the big time.

Don’t ask a street performer how much they’ve made. There’s an unwritten rule among performers that they never divulge the earnings of a single hat.

It’s about making sure the wrong impression isn’t reached by the general public. “The amount you earn for a single performance can vary so much,” says veteran street performer Silver. “One day you could do really well and the next might be a completely different story, so it’s best to keep that information private. It’s between a performer and their hat.”