Sonia Ritter

**Sonia Ritter** (born 20 July 1958) is an English actress, theatre director and practitioner, and teacher. She is known for portraying Doreen 'Dor' Coleman in the BBC One soap opera _EastEnders_.

## Early life

Sonia Ritter was born in Surrey Northern, Surrey, England in 20 July 1958, as the younger child to Hans Wolfgang Ritter and Madeleine Gwen (née Arnup). She has an elder sister, Phyllida.

Ritter attended the University of Birmingham; graduating in 1979. She studied at Bristol Old Vic; graduating in 1981.

## Career

Ritter has worked as an actress since August 1981. She began her career in theatre.

Ritter made her television debut on 29 August 1989, with the role of Charlie on the final episode of the ITV crime drama series _Hard Cases_. She has appeared in _The Bill_, _Casualty_, _Performance_, _Doctors_, _Dickens_, _Holby City_, _Silk_, and _Requiem_.

Ritter has appeared in three roles on the BBC One soap opera _EastEnders_. Her first appearance was as a welfare office in 1995. She then portrayed a registrar during the first part of the New Year's Eve 1999 episodes. She portrayed Doreen 'Dor' Coleman, a prison friend of Chrissie Watts (Tracy-Ann Oberman) and later the cellmate of Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), who was imprisoned for shoplifting, for five episodes in September 2024.

Ritter has previously worked at Coventry University. She has works as a creative coordinator at the Lions part since 1995. She has worked as a tutor at the East 15 Acting School in Loughton, Essex since 2010.

## Filmography

|Year|Title|Role|Notes|Ref.|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|1989|_Hard Cases_|Charlie|Episode: "Episode #2.7"||
|1990, 1994, 1996, 2008|_The Bill_|Sharon Sharp, Sadie Hanson, Sharon Morris, Yvonne McGuire|Episode(s): "Addresses" (series six), "Ways and Means" (series 10), "Butting In" (series 12), "Unnecessary Heroics; Part One – Demolition Girl" (series 24)||
|1991|_Sex and the Censors_|Actress|Original title: Banned; Television special||
|1991, 2001|_Casualty_|Beverley Atkinson, Tracey Yorath|Episode(s): "Making the Break" (series six), "Allied Forces" (series 15)||
|1992|_Performance_|Helene|Episode: "A Doll's House"||
|1994|_The Chief_|Det. Insp. Patricia Hynde|Episode: "Episode #4.9"||
|1995, 1999, 2024|_EastEnders_|Welfare Officer, Registrar, Doreen 'Dor' Coleman|Episode(s): "Episode #1.1179", "New Year's Eve 1999: Part 1", "Episode #1.6975", "Episode #1.6976", "Episode #1.6977", "Episode #1.6978", "Episode #1.6979"||
|1997|_Bramwell_|Mrs. Loach|Episode: "Episode #3.6"||
|1997|_A Dance to the Music of Time_|Ada|Episode: "Post War"||
|1997|_Oscar and Lucinda_|Fanny Drabble|||
|1998, 2001|_Peak Practice_|Margaret Bannerman, Sally Spinx|Episode(s): "The Ghost in the Machine" (series six), "Bald Retribution" (series 12)||
|1998|_Touched_|Angela|Short film||
|2000, 2005, 2007, 2018|_Doctors_|Karen, Vicky Preston, Susan Hillier|Episode(s): "With Friends Like This" (series one), "My Own Flesh and Blood" (series six), "Lost Boys" (series eight), "Desperately Seeking Susan" (series 19)||
|2002|_Dickens_|Former prostitute|Episode: "Blazing Away"||
|2002, 2006|_Holby City_|Amanda Cummings, Sue Breen|Episode(s): "Repercussions" (series five), "Crossing the Line" (series nine)||
|2003|Murder Investigation Team|Mrs. Small|Episode: "Reading, Writing and Gangbanging"||
|2003|_Sylvia_|Midwife|||
|2005|_Murder in Suburbia_|Christine Archer|Episode: "Dogs"||
|2012|_Silk_|Mrs Rivers|Episode: "The House of Ill Repute"||
|2015|_Arthur & George_|Miriam Bostock|Episode(s): "Episode #1.2", "Episode #1.3"||
|2016|_The Five_|Carol|Episode: "Episode #1.9"||
|2018|_Requiem_|Kath|Episode(s): "The Blue Room", "The Necklace", "Bessie"||

## Infobox (person)

- **name**: Sonia Ritter
- **birth place**: Surrey, Surrey Northern, Surrey, England
- **occupation**: Actress, theatre director and practitioner, teacher
- **years active**: 1981–present
- **employer**: East 15 Acting School (2010–present)
- **known for**: Role of List of EastEnders characters introduced in 2024, Doreen 'Dor' Coleman in _EastEnders_ (2024)