London : Royal Shakespeare Company actors , Alan Webb ( left ) and Alec McCowen are shown at todays rehearsal of the German controversial play , ' The Representative ' , which gets its British Premiere at the Aldwych Theatre on 25th September . Webb plays Pope Pius XII who author Rolf Hochhuth claims failed to take a strong enough stand against the Nazis in the Second World War extermination of the Jews . The play which had its world premiere in West Berlin in February , aroused a storm of comment . 23rd September 1963