Claim: Macbeth is a stage production.

The Scottish Play and The Bard 's Play are euphemisms for William Shakespeare 's Macbeth . The first is a reference to the play 's Scottish setting , the second a reference to Shakespeare 's popular nickname . According to a theatrical superstition , called the Scottish curse , speaking the name Macbeth inside a theatre will cause disaster . A variation of the superstition also forbids quoting it within a theatre except as part of an actual rehearsal or performance of the play .   Because of this superstition , the lead character is most often referred to as the Scottish King or Scottish Lord . Lady Macbeth is often referred to as the Scottish Lady . Sometimes Mackers or MacB is used to avoid saying the name .