Theatre of the Absurd presents C'est La Vie

Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie is the thirteenth studio album by British band Madness. It was released on 17 November 2023 through BMG Rights Management. The album marks their first studio release in seven years, following Can't Touch Us Now (2016). Background Madness recorded the album in Cricklewood in early 2023 with assistance in mixing and engineering by Matt Glasbey. Written and produced by band members themselves for the first time in their career, creation of the record was spurred by the principle "Let Madness be Madness". In a statement, Madness described the recording process as "the perfect antidote to the chaos of the past few years" and referred to their current form as "properly in the zone". The result was understood as "their most harmonious recording experience to date". The band announced the album on 27 September 2023 and premiered the lead single "C'est la Vie" on The Radio 2 Breakfast Show. Accompanying the announcement, the band let British actress Helen Mirren give a "dramatic reading" of some of the lyrics.