The lights go up, the crowd rises to leave, venue drones file in with walkie talkies ... but what happens to the performers in those first few seconds after a show?

Behind the Fringe is a gallery of photos taken backstage immediately after a show, documenting those moments when the adrenaline and sweat are still pumping. All photos by Nick Collett.

- 2010's Behind the Fringe gallery

Dan Antopolski looking like a really, really scary children's TV presenter

The Bruce Collective (l-r Simon Young, Jarred Christmas, Mike Wozniak) in the Gilded Balloon after their interactive and intergalactic green screen extravaganza

Paul Foot mops up backstage at the Underbelly

Joel Dommett and Eric Lampaert at the Underbelly – "Our shows keep getting weirder. That was definitely the strangest yet."

The Buffoons, who have been busy pushing the boundaries of good taste over at C Soco: "We just had twenty walk outs..." (L-R Jonathan Sayer, Henry Lewis, Josh Mayes-Cooper and Yolanda Kettle)

An elated Jess Ransom outside the Pleasance Cellar

Lee Nelson meets some fans

Simon Munnery behind the Stand

Relaxation, Pappy's-style

A beaming Josie Long on the day of her Edinburgh Comedy Award nomination

Mike Wozniak with trademark quizzical frown and voll-tasche

Nick Helm sporting Edinburgh tan

A pensive Kevin Eldon on the bird shit-covered fire escape of the Stand

Tony Law clutching treasured possessions at the Stand

A thirsty Brendon Burns rehydrates in the wings of the Udderbelly purple cow after talking Love 'n' God 'n' Metaphysics 'n' Shit

Stewart Lee outside the Stand

Lady Garden bring some colour – and a Russian doll – to the Pleasance Beside

A slightly shell-shocked Daniel Rigby in the props room of Pleasance Below

Bridget Christie in her A Ant guise, backstage at the Stand

A remarkably fresh-faced Delete the Banjax in the props room of the Pleasance Attic

Adam Riches clearly in need of a shower outside the Pleasance Beside

Jim Jefferies feels the strain in the narrow backstage corridors of McEwan Hall, Assembly Rooms

Dave Hill packs up after The Dave Hill Explosion in Pleasance Upstairs

A sweat-drenched Phil Nichol cools down after an hour of being fictional beat poet Bobby Spade

Busted. Nick Mohammed is caught looking through the Pleasance Upstairs door to gauge the reaction of his last joke

The "Toby" sisters Lizzie and Sarah, currently performing at the Free Fringe at Cabaret Voltaire

Holly Burn, back in reality, following the surreal character show Living and Dying at Just The Tonic at the Caves

Two Episodes of Mash still see eye to eye after their show at the 10 Dome

A sweat-drenched Penny Dreadfuls (l-r Humphrey Ker, David Reed and Thom Tuck)

Sara Pascoe comes back down to earth after her show Sara Pascoe vs Her Ego

Hugely promising new stand-up Lee Kern backstage at Le Monde

The Sunday Defensive (Phil Gilbert and Jacob Edwards): not ones for post-match stress