Theatre of the Absurd Presents C'est la Vie is the twelfth studio album by British band Madness.

[3] 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".

[5] The band announced the album on 27 September 2023 and premiered the lead single "C'est la Vie" on The Radio 2 Breakfast Show.

[16] Classic Rock wrote that "the roaring 20s has finally arrived",[14] and Peter Watts of Uncut remarked that while "the songs are written from multiple perspectives, they share a common mood – essentially life and its general absurdity".

Watts additionally found that "the most distinctive Madness traits are all present" and the "biggest spiritual influence is the Kinks, another band adept at exploring London's darker undercurrents".