Something like this happened on an awards ceremony I was runnjng in London. The power went out-lights, sound, AV the lot. Our presenter happened to be Roy Castle, who picked up his trumpet - brought onstage as a prop, and started to play the last post! Brought the house down until power was restored! Only answer to the original question - move in, engage and use the lungs you were given, but project don’t shout!

We had a venue power failure during a large evangelical event - the pastor simply went to the lectern & commanded '20 minutes of silent prayer'...

Engage directly with the audience. Make it interactive so that everyone can contribute. Maybe organise some games, interactive sessions.

One thing I have found particularly helpful is to put in a little joke, as a comic relief to calm down any tension that might be building up as a result. As a graduate of the School of Performing Arts, this is an opportune time to put into practice what we learnt: project! Once the tension calms down, resume like: As I was saying before the audio decided to mute me, sorry, I cannot be muted. I prepared before I came. That puts the audience at ease and builds confidence in the Speaker. I would continue till the audio is restored. Otherwise, when we were acting on stage in our Drama Practicals, we never used audio aids. We practiced projecting natural voice, however large the audience.

Pause for a moment to see if you can do a quick fix. You also need to find out if this is a failure on your end or on the platforms. The most important thing to do is to stay calm, as generally, there is a moderator in the room who is also aware of the situation.

Clearly gesture to the tech team to address the issue without distracting the audience. Move closer to the audience and project your voice to maintain engagement and ensure your message is still heard.

After a little heart attack and a 60 seconds breathing exercise... I'll remember myself that I was once able to sing (a capella) "All by myself" like Céline Dion on Saturday nights with my friends when I was young. So I'll be able do it again. Even if Céline Dion is not involved. But just in case... I'll check with the sound team if we can work on a miracle together to save the night. (And the Queen.)

1. Stay Calm: First, remain composed and assess the situation. Panicking will only make things worse 2. Check the Equipment: Quickly check if the issue is something simple, like a loose cable or incorrect volume setting. If possible, inform technical team. 3. Apologize Briefly: Acknowledge the inconvenience, but keep it brief so as not to draw too much attention away from the content. 4. Keep the momentum going without pay audio, try to be audible. 4. Proceed with Confidence: Once the audio is fixed, resume your presentation, thanking the team for resolving the issue. Maintain your confidence, and continue smoothly with your content.

Engage with your audience. You can make this interactive by playing a game and getting the crowd involved. I once supported someone who always carried 2-3 Starbucks gift cards and to lighten the mood he would ask 3 from the audience to share a funny story. Most times he would hand out to the funniest story but other times he would give them all out.