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How long could medieval mystery play cycles last?

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Ancient Egyptian illustration from the Book of the Dead showing Anubis weighing the soul of the scribe Ani, with gods seated above and hieroglyphic text throughout. — Western theatre Anubis weighing the soul of the scribe Ani, from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, c. 1275 bce.

Medieval mystery play cycles varied significantly in length depending on the region and the scale of the production. In England, these cycles, which could comprise up to 50 short plays, were sometimes performed over the course of two or three days.1

However, some productions were far more extensive. For example, the French play The Acts of the Apostles by Arnoul and Simon Gréban was so vast—containing 494 speaking parts and over 61,000 lines of verse—that it required 40 days to perform. These cycles were organized to cover the entire biblical narrative, ranging from the Creation to the Last Judgment, and were often staged as elaborate civic events by local trade guilds or religious organizations.21