Unseen character

An unseen character or invisible character^[1] is a fictional character referred to but never directly observed by the audience. They are characters that are "heard of, but never heard from".^[2] They are continuing characters—characters who frequently interact with the other characters and who influence current story events.^[1]

The significance in the plot excludes from this definition various occasional barely mentioned characters, such as Laurent (Lawrence), Tartuffe's unseen valet, whose sole function is merely to introduce the pompousness of Tartuffe, as seen from his very first words of the play;^[1] see Scene II.

Unseen characters are a common device in drama.^[3][4] Books can feature characters who are referenced by others, but whose actions and dialogue are never directly described. The work of Voltaire, for example, included the "unseen character".^[5]

Examples

Theatre

• Rosaline in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is never seen, but is crucial to how the title characters meet.^[6]
• In Alain-René Lesage's 1707 play Crispin an unseen character called Damis with his forced secret marriage is essential to the whole plot.^[1]
• In Clare Boothe Luce's play The Women (1936), and the 1939 film based on the play, male characters (husbands, lovers, etc) are referred to but do not appear, even in photographs, and the entire cast (from stars to extras) is all female.^[7][8]
• Godot in Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot is never seen. The play's two main characters spend the entire play waiting for Godot to arrive.

UK television and radio

• Dad's Army: Captain Mainwaring is equally hen-pecked by his wife, Elizabeth, who never appears onscreen despite frequent references to her.^[9]
• Minder: Arthur Daley's wife, referred to only as "'Er Indoors", is never seen or heard, but often quoted.^[10]
• I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue: the scorers Samantha (or occasionally Sven) are regularly referred to but never appear. An empty chair is provided for them at recordings.
• In the long-running British radio soap opera The Archers, a number of permanent inhabitants of the village in which the story is set are frequently referred to by name but are never heard from in their own voices. Fans of the programme often refer to these characters as "the silents".^[11]
• In the radio comedy series "The Clitheroe Kid", Jimmy's friend Ozzie was frequently referred to but never heard in the shows.

US television and radio

• On the mystery drama Columbo, Columbo often described his wife in detail but she is never portrayed in the series.,^[12]
• On The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Phyllis Lindstrom's husband, Dr. Lars Lindstrom, is oft-referenced but never seen.^[13]
• On Seinfeld, Bob Sacamano, Lomez and "Cousin Jeffrey" are often mentioned but never seen. The first two are friends of Cosmo Kramer, and the last is the cousin of Jerry Seinfeld. Jeffrey works for the New York City Parks Department, as Jerry is told ad nauseam by his Uncle Leo.^[14]
• On The Andy Griffith Show, Juanita Beasley, for whom Barney Fife occasionally expresses affection, is unseen but often referenced and telephoned by the love-struck Fife.^[15]
• On Will and Grace, Stan Walker, Karen Walker's incredibly wealthy, unfaithful, and morbidly obese husband, is never seen, although his wife and mistress fight over him and his estate.^[16]
• On Frasier, Maris Crane, Niles Crane's socialite wife, is never seen, although her marriage and divorce are major plot points; many jokes are made in reference to her idiosyncrasies, which include extreme wealth, pretention, an incredibly thin figure and a cold, domineering, neurotic personality.

References