There are 37 Shakespearean plays.
Altogether, there are at least 1024 parts in those plays.
Those two facts alone would be enough to scare off most people, but not the Fortune Theatre staff.
They are planning to put on each of those plays, one after the other, at the theatre later this month in a nonstop event.
They expect it to take about 85 hours to complete, starting with The Taming of the Shrew and ending with The Winter's Tale.
Many of the ''actors'' will be amateurs or just keen members of the public.
Staff will be working shifts over the five days to ensure it all runs smoothly.
Not your usual production for the theatre but an important one, says its artistic director, Lara Macgregor.
''It's a community project. The aim is to bring the community together to do something crazy: I mean, 85 hours; the mind boggles.''
It was a way of reintroducing Shakespeare into the Fortune programme without over-extending the organisation in what was a challenging financial year, she said.
''Shakespeare is wonderful, necessary and important but, unfortunately, not many people come to it.''
Ms Macgregor is in her fifth year as artistic director and she said that when she started in the role, she had a vision for producing only contemporary theatre from living playwrights for her first three years at the Fortune.
''I wanted to inject new energy the theatre needed.''
But Shakespeare was always in people's minds and she was often asked when the theatre would do another Shakespearean work.
So the marathon was a way of meeting those expectations as well as drawing the community into the theatre, she said.
''It's an opportunity for actors or those with a passion for Shakespeare to listen to him or have a go at reading him.''
It was not a new idea. When working in Los Angeles, Ms Macgregor was involved in a similar marathon with playwright Gordy Hoffman (late actor Philip Seymour Hoffman's brother).
''I'm not aware of anyone doing it in New Zealand, though.''
To make it work, the theatre was ''shoulder-tapping'' some local actors to take on some of the more significant parts, but the majority would be filled by members of the public.
''There are plenty of options for people to be involved.''
Some of the local theatre groups were taking on whole plays to perform, with Counterpoint Productions and Improvsaurus (an improvisation group) doing another.
''They're doing a late-night show, so it should be fun.''
Next week the theatre was inviting all those interested in taking part to the Fortune to talk about the marathon and get their roles.
''Everyone will get to pull the names of characters and the plays out of a hat.''
Then they would be encouraged to grab a copy of the play and become familiar with it before their appearance, but there would be no formal rehearsals.
Shakespeare may have lived hundreds of years ago but the themes and ideas expressed in his storytelling were still relevant today, she said.
''They are universal: love, greed, hate, envy. All the great dramatic emotions of human existence, and his use of language is incredible.''
He expressed the changing tones in his plays through language so if the story was becoming more sinister, the language used would feature harsh consonants.
''There is not anyone else like him in our existence.''
Many people had bad memories of Shakespeare from school days similar to those memories of warm school milk, she said.
''I'm hoping people may get a glimmer of what Shakespeare can be and maybe change the way people view him.
''The idea is to have fun and celebrate his existence.''
University of Otago Theatre Studies Associate Professor Lisa Warrington said why Shakespeare had become the literary world's ''go-to guy'' over many other authors of the time could just be pure luck.
''He is more than just a man; he is far bigger than that.''
However, people's view of Shakespeare did depend on how they were introduced to him, she said.
If people's first exposure was to a performance of his work rather than a cold reading of a play in a classroom, they were more likely to appreciate his work.
Shakespeare's plays were written to be performed for an audience.
''People were not buying his manuscripts back then''.
''To me, one of his charms was discovering someone who lived more than 400 years ago has the same thoughts and feelings. It's like a direct hotline to humanity, something that never changes.''
Prof Warrington's first experience of Shakespeare was a performance of Twelfth Night when she was 10 years old.
''I loved it. It was a wonderful touring production.''
Her love of the bard grew from there, especially when she discovered Romeo and Juliet.
''I was so excited ... when I discovered Romeo was just a crazy teenage boy who had fallen in love with many.''
He was also the ''go to'' for great poetry and covered just about every emotion; from comedy and fun to love, ''he had something to say about it''.
While it was too hard to pick a favourite, Prof Warrington did admit she had a soft spot for Much Ado about Nothing.
Community projects such as the Fortune's marathon were a great way to share the fun and pleasure of Shakespeare, she said.
''Why not focus on Shakespeare? There have already been Milton marathons.''
There was still a passion for Shakespeare in young people; the popularity of the secondary school Sheila Winn Shakespeare Festival was a testament to that.
Also, there was never a shortage of students keen to take Shakespeare classes at university.
