High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! 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 forbids direct quotation of the play (except during rehearsals) while inside a theater.